Translation of court forms

(1) The records management committee, working with the director of state courts office, shall identify court forms and instructions suitable for translation into a language other than English. Translated forms adopted by the judicial members of the records management committee, on behalf of the judicial conference, shall be treated as court forms adopted under s. 758.18, stats., and SCR 70.153. (2) Translated forms shall use a format that incorporates both English and the second language. Every question or statement requiring a response, such as a check box or signature, will provide only one location in the English portion of the form to make that response. The answers to free-text questions must be written in English. (3) Each translated form shall carry a notice, in both languages, that the translated form does not replace any of the following: (a) The need for an interpreter. (b) Any colloquies mandated by law. (c) The responsibility of court and counsel to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency fully comprehend their rights and obligations. (4) Use of a translated form does not supersede the need for an interpreter for communicating with counsel, or for court proceedings pursuant to s. 885.38, stats. Interpreters may sight translate forms for persons with limited English proficiency consistent with the limitations provided in SCR 63.07. Sight translation is the process of reading a document written in one language while converting it orally into another language. (5) Any written translation of a form shall be accompanied by an affidavit stating that the translator knows English and the second language and that in making the translation the translator carefully translated the form from English into the other language and that the translation is true and correct.