An interpreting agency for criminal defense attorneys and public defenders in San Jose.
AMS supplies court-certified interpreters from arraignment through trial, plus confidential attorney-client interview and detention visit interpreting, in the languages California and Nevada criminal calendars actually demand.
AMS dispatches certified interpreters and translators across San Jose and the Silicon Valley from its San Francisco office.
AMS at a glance
- Track record
- Founded 1999; 3,000+ clients served
- Offices
- Los Angeles (HQ), San Francisco, Las Vegas
- Coverage
- Nationwide across the United States, with local dispatch throughout California and Nevada
- Languages
- 200+, including rare and indigenous languages
- Court credentials
- California Court Interpreter Program; FCICE (federal Spanish)
- Medical credentials
- CCHI and NBCMI credentialed interpreters
- Sign language
- RID-certified ASL; Mexican Sign Language; CDI available
- Translation QA
- Independent second-linguist review on every translation before delivery
- Scheduling
- Online requests anytime; same-day and after-hours service; same-business-day quotes
- Remote platforms
- Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, Doxy.me
- Compliance
- HIPAA-aware practice; Title VI and Section 1557 support; ADA Titles II and III
- Conflict policy
- Conflict logs maintained; no interpreter on both sides of an active matter
What we cover for criminal defense attorneys and public defenders
- Arraignments, preliminary hearings, and pretrial motions
- Suppression hearings and evidentiary hearings
- Trials, with two-interpreter teams for long proceedings per NAJIT guidance
- Witness interviews and investigation support
- Attorney-client communication and jail or detention visits
- Translation of discovery, transcripts, and foreign-language evidence
Standards we work under
- California Constitution, Article I, section 14 (right to an interpreter in criminal proceedings)
- California Court Interpreter Program certification
- NAJIT position papers on team interpreting and interpreter ethics
Courts and venues we cover in San Jose
AMS interpreters regularly appear at state and federal venues across the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro and the wider Silicon Valley, including:
- Santa Clara County Superior Court, Downtown Superior Courthouse (191 N. First Street, San Jose)
- Santa Clara County Superior Court, Hall of Justice (190 W. Hedding Street, San Jose)
- Santa Clara County Superior Court, Family Justice Center Courthouse (201 N. First Street, San Jose)
- Santa Clara County Superior Court, Palo Alto Courthouse
- Santa Clara County Superior Court, South County (Morgan Hill) Courthouse
- Robert F. Peckham Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division (280 South First Street, San Jose)
Offices AMS has served across criminal practice
- Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office
- Orange County District Attorney
- Clark County District Attorney
Representative clients of Access Multilingual Services. Listing of a client does not constitute an endorsement. See more representative clients.
Criminal Defense interpreting in San Jose: questions, answered
Does AMS provide criminal defense interpreters in San Jose?
Yes. AMS dispatches certified interpreters for criminal defense matters throughout the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro and the wider Silicon Valley, with online requests accepted anytime. AMS dispatches certified interpreters and translators across San Jose and the Silicon Valley from its San Francisco office.
Which venues does AMS cover for criminal defense work in San Jose?
Assignments regularly cover Santa Clara County Superior Court, Downtown Superior Courthouse (191 N. First Street, San Jose); Santa Clara County Superior Court, Hall of Justice (190 W. Hedding Street, San Jose); Santa Clara County Superior Court, Family Justice Center Courthouse (201 N. First Street, San Jose); and other venues across the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro and the wider Silicon Valley.
What languages come up most in criminal defense matters in San Jose?
Spanish leads by volume. Beyond Spanish, frequent requests include Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, the Indian languages of Punjabi and Hindi, and Korean. AMS covers 200+ languages on request, including rare and indigenous languages.
Is a certified interpreter required in California criminal court?
Yes. The California Constitution, Article I, section 14, gives a criminal defendant who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings, and courts staff those proceedings with certified interpreters, or registered interpreters in languages with no certification exam. For defense-side work outside the courtroom, such as client interviews and detention visits, AMS supplies the same credentialed tier so privileged conversations are interpreted accurately.
How quickly can AMS confirm an interpreter for a criminal defense matter in San Jose?
Availability depends on language, venue, and timing. Online requests are accepted anytime, same-day and after-hours coverage is part of the standard offering, and quotes turn around the same business day. Call (800) 919-2029 to confirm availability for your date.
Can AMS handle remote criminal defense assignments in San Jose?
Yes. AMS interprets remote depositions, telehealth visits, and video proceedings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, and Doxy.me. Same-day video remote interpreting is available when on-site is not practical.
Related AMS pages
Criminal Defense overview
Arraignments through trial, witness interviews, detention visits, and discovery translation for the defense bar.
Interpreters and translation in San Jose
All AMS languages and services across the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro and the wider Silicon Valley.
Legal Interpreting in San Jose
Certified court interpreters for depositions, EUOs, IMEs, arbitrations, mediations, and trials. State and federal court experience since 1999.
Schedule criminal defense interpreters in San Jose
Same-day requests welcome across the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro and the wider Silicon Valley. Tell us the date, language, and proceeding type, and we will confirm the right certified interpreter for your matter.