New Yorkers who speak little or no English are being illegally denied interpreters in transit court
New Yorkers who speak little or no English are being illegally denied interpreters in transit court, often leaving them at a disadvantage as they try to fight summonses for littering, fare beating and other violations, the New York Civil Liberties Union charged on Thursday.
In a letter to New York City Transit, the civil rights group said the agency was violating defendants’ constitutional due-process rights. “The transit authority’s practice of adjudicating cases against riders who are unable to understand the legal proceedings against them is grossly unfair,” the letter, written by Christopher Dunn and Andrew L. Kalloch, lawyers for the civil liberties group, said.
Lawyers at the group who spent eight months observing hearings saw numerous instances in which defendants were told to bring a relative or friend to translate, Mr. Dunn said. In some instances, the defendants were told to seek translation help from strangers in the waiting area, the letter contended.
The transit court, formally known as the Transit Adjudication Bureau, handles summonses charging violations of transit-system rules. The transportation agency had no immediate comment on the letter.