Lilia White stands before St. Joseph Municipal Court Judge John Boeh early Friday morning. He reads the charges out loud, pausing periodically as Ms. White translates his English words into Spanish for the young man standing next to her.

The charges consist of driving after dark without headlights and failing to provide a driver's license or proof of insurance.

Mr. Boeh requests the defendant's plea, and the young man and Ms. White quietly confer in Spanish until she turns to address the judge.

"Guilty, your honor," she says.

Ms. White is accustomed to this process. For about a year, she's translated Municipal Court proceedings every third Friday of the month at special arraignment dockets for defendants with limited English proficiency.

The court implemented the translator-attended arraignment dockets a year ago, said city prosecutor Rebecca Spencer.

"Under Missouri court rules, we (are) obligated to provide interpreters," she said.

Translators help defendants communicate with the judge and attorneys and to read and complete court forms and documents, which are only printed in English, Ms. Spencer said.

"It works out really well because that one day, you know that you will have the interpreter," she said. "So you won't have any problems."

For convenience and to limit the hours a translator must spend at Municipal Court, St. Joseph Police Department officers assign people with limited English proficiency to appear for arraignment on the third Friday of the month, she said.

"It takes quite a while to get through the cases with the translator," she said. "But we find it to be helpful because it's just one day a month."

She said the city might some day implement more-frequent translator-attended arraignment dockets.

On Friday, Ms. White arrived at Municipal Court at 7:30 a.m. and completed her translating duties just before 11 a.m.

She translated for about 10 individuals, a relatively low number, she said. On some days, she translates for as many as 28 people.

"I have empathy for them," she said. "Really, usually it's a lack of insurance or lack of driver's license, and sometimes (the defendants) don't know where to get a driver's license."

She said the translator-attended arraignment docket is an important service for the Hispanic community, especially for low-income individuals.

"They have to pay the fines," she said. "So if on top of the fines they have to pay a (translator) that is probably going to charge ... $75 or $100, that will make it more difficult for them."

Ms. White said some defendants she assists understand little English, and some comprehend the language but are insecure before the judge.

"Some of them are just afraid that they might miss something," she said. "And most of them understand some English, but they are afraid they might need something."

The Municipal Court contracts Ms. White's translating services through InterServ. In addition to arraignment dockets, she attends trials.