Court proposes ban on interpreter fees for criminal defendants

Michigan currently seeks reimbursement for the cost of intepreter services from criminal defendants whose income exceeds a certain threshold.

A proposed change to court rules would require courts to cover the costs of interpreters in all criminal cases in Michigan.

For some, there is a greater cost to being accused of a crime.

Since 2013, Michigan judges could force non-English speaking criminal defendants whose income exceeds a certain threshold to reimburse the courts for interpreters. This is on track to change.

In a push for what it calls “effective assistance,” the Michigan Supreme Court proposed an amendment to court rules that would require courts to cover the cost of foreign language interpreters for all criminal defendants.

“It should be non-controversial,” said John Nevin,