Kentucky court officials to get Spanish language immersion

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Dec. 20, 2006
Kentucky court officials to get Spanish language immersion
BRETT BARROUQUERE
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Prosecutors, public defenders and judges from Jefferson County will begin a Spanish language immersion course in January, a program aimed at easing the transition of a growing number of immigrants in the court system.

The 21 people in the inaugural class include attorneys from the Jefferson County Attorney's Office, Commonwealth Attorney's Office, public defenders and district judges. They will go through a year of multicultural training, including an intense eight-month language course.

The officials will finish their training with a trip to Mexico, where they will live with a local family in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan, for two weeks, studying Spanish, observing the culture and visiting the local courts. The program is similar to the one used by Louisville police that ended with nine police officers visiting Mexico earlier this year.

The idea is to help non-English speaking immigrants navigate the court system more quickly and feel more comfortable making decisions that will affect their lives, said Jefferson County District Judge Angela McCormick Bisig.
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http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/16284364.htm