Videos in Kurdish, Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Laotian and English explaining basic rights of defendants, parental rights in abuse and neglect cases and how to obtain orders of protection are available on the court system website at www.tsc.state.tn.us.
"The videos are among several steps the court system has taken to eliminate language barriers to equal justice," said Cornelia Clark, administrative director of the courts. "The population of Tennessee, as in many states, has become increasingly diverse. Many of these new neighbors speak little or no English. We hope the videos will help them enter the courthouse on an equal footing with all others who use the system."
Working with a grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Programs, the Administrative Office of the Courts created the videos in languages judges hear most often. In addition to being added to the website, the tapes are available in courthouses across the state and may be copied. The AOC contracted with the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute to provide translation services for the videos.
Other recent initiatives aimed at providing equal justice include foreign language versions of court forms and other material available on the website and Supreme Court rules setting standards for foreign language court interpreters.