NCJ Number
80745
Date Published
Unknown
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the achievements of the Spanish language program instituted in September 1977 in the District Attorney's Office of the County of New York to make bilingual personnel available to Hispanic clients and thereby improve the quality of criminal justice services received by the Spanish-speaking minority.
Abstract
The program is being used by the entire legal staff to do translating or interpreting in sensitive and important cases affecting Manhattan's Hispanic community. The primary responsibility of the program attorneys is the vertical prosecution of serious cases which would benefit from a bilingual attorney. The program also employs two investigators for locating witnesses, encouraging them to appear in court, serving subpoenas, and conducting 'field' interviews with potential witnesses. Of 1,504 requests or referrals to the program within the district attorney's office, 264 were retained by the bilingual attorneys for prosecution in the State supreme court; 40 program cases have been tried to verdict. Because bilingual attorneys are able to obtain greater information about the crimes, persuade people to testify, and encourage others to participate in the criminal justice system, the bilingual staff is deemed an important added dimension to the district attorney's office's prosecution services. Tabular data are provided.