Trial for Deaf/HH people who are innocent and alleged .. even convicted too
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I've seen lots of deaf people in San Diego have to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit because of lack of communication services. The judges there seemed want to give the prosecutors their trophies in exchenge for lenient sentences. The rights of the deaf community in San Diego has been looted by the judicial system there.
There were two different cases involving the deaf as defendants within last 8 years in Utah.
Case #1 - was released after paying only $25.00 fine after police was scolded for not getting interpreter. The fine was for standing up and fighting back after he was assaulted.
Case #2 - free man after the foster parents plus the public defender joined forces with the deaf school and collected evidence concerning the young man's background during growing up - he was tested to be at 11 years old level. Judge ordered him released and transferred to a development center for further training for his employment and he is now free and living in a group home.
And now the state has an attorney who is certified and licensed interpreter, too and making sure the deaf rights are properly protected. This attorney already had few cases settled out of court as the result of better awareness of the laws and past similiar cases occured in other states causing the hearing defendants to opt for settlements.
This attorney pointed out the absolute irony of the interpreters in medical and law fields. Many intepreters prefer to interpret in medical field than in law field despite the fact that medical field has more risks and uncertainities and at great risk of being sued by the deaf and even hearing people than they can be in law field because of the law's limiting rules.
4 comments:
I've seen lots of deaf people in San Diego have to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit because of lack of communication services.
The judges there seemed want to give the prosecutors their trophies in exchenge for lenient sentences. The rights of the deaf community in San Diego has been looted by the judicial system there.
Richard Roehm
Amen. a good blog, diane
You have brought up many good questions about accommodations and fair trial issues.
I have seen few cases that force deaf persons to appear in court without an interpreter.
Diane, a good vlog!!!
There were two different cases involving the deaf as defendants within last 8 years in Utah.
Case #1 - was released after paying only $25.00 fine after police was scolded for not getting interpreter.
The fine was for standing up and fighting back after he was assaulted.
Case #2 - free man after the foster parents plus the public defender joined forces with the deaf school and collected evidence concerning the young man's background during growing up - he was tested to be at 11 years old level. Judge ordered him released and transferred to a development center for further training for his employment and he is now free and living in a group home.
And now the state has an attorney who is certified and licensed interpreter, too and making sure the deaf rights are properly protected. This attorney already had few cases settled out of court as the result of better awareness of the laws and past similiar cases occured in other states causing the hearing defendants to opt for settlements.
This attorney pointed out the absolute irony of the interpreters in medical and law fields. Many intepreters prefer to interpret in medical field than in law field despite the fact that medical field has more risks and uncertainities and at great risk of being sued by the deaf and even hearing people than they can be in law field because of the law's limiting rules.
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