A Deafening Silence in the Courtroom
The clerk called out the case number.
“Spanish-speaking interpreter required,” said someone.
“Alright, let’s get her on the screen.” The judge sighed heavily.
The interpreter appeared on a large screen, the size of a stainless steel refrigerator, in the middle of the courtroom, and the defendant came out from the back room where he was being held.
He had been arrested that morning, but as soon as he came out of that door, this time in handcuffs, I immediately recognized him from his appearance in court four weeks earlier for a public consumption charge. He was a short man, probably over 50 years old, barely able to walk, with nothing but a plastic bag with his clothes and personal belongings.
The judge explained that he had missed several scheduled court dates, leading him to issue a bench warrant that authorized the police to arrest the defendant and bring him to court. The case dragged on for longer than the judge anticipated because the prosecutor did not have the files immediately at hand to resolve the case that day. And the time it took for the interpreter to translate the proceedings only added to the judge’s frustration. The defendant, however, was never asked any questions and did not once complain, change his facial expression, or move when he was not asked to. He was silent, and this was no different from the last time I had seen him in court.
As far as I know, his only charges involved consuming alcohol in a public place. Yet here he was in handcuffs. Even though the interpreter had explained to him what was happening in court, it was unclear how much he understood. Even for someone who speaks fluent English, legal jargon makes navigating the judicial system complicated.
It is unfortunately impossible for court watchers like me to get the full story of the events that led to the charges. But it was easy for anyone to see that this man was struggling to understand the complexities of court proceedings. Among all the chatter in the courtroom, his silence was deafening.