A total of $137,500 in grant money was divvied among 36 Indiana counties that most need translation services. Awards ranged from $500 to $21,500 depending on the size of the district served.

Grant County's Hispanic population is growing and the court's primary need is for Spanish-speaking interpreters, Superior Court 1 Judge Jeffrey Todd said. He said there is also an occasional need for interpreters who know American Sign Language.

"You can't anticipate how much you will need because it could vary widely," Todd said. "If we had a case where there were five people who couldn't speak English were arrested then you're going to have a great need. But in other instances, you could go a year and have zero need."

Because there is no way to know when or how often interpreters will be needed, it is easier for the court to fund translation services with grant money rather than in the county budget, Todd said.

"That's why we were glad to see that there are funds available because it's tough to budget through our normal budget process, which we do on a yearly basis," he said.

Currently, the county uses the services of Victoria Montemayor, a janitor at the courthouse, on an as-needed basis. Last year, the county received a $3,000 grant to help offset costs of translation.

The Indiana Supreme Court has put a heavier emphasis on court interpretation after a recommendation by the Supreme Court's Race and Gender Fairness Commission in 2000 to have Indiana join a national consortium that certifies qualified court interpreters.

The court began awarding the grants for courtroom interpreters last year. This year's funding comes from the General Assembly ($100,000) and the Indiana Supreme Court ($37,500).

"These grants reflect the commitment of the legislature and the judiciary to making sure the people who come to court have the chance to be heard even if English is not their first language," Chief Justice Randall Shepard said in a news release last month. "The grants also demonstrate how hard local courts are working to resolve language issues."

Madison, Jay and Wabash counties were also among those receiving grants.

By Rachel Kipp