Statewide Register of Interpreters

Statewide Register of Interpreters

Court Staff, Probation Staff and Court-Ordered Mediation

If an interpreter is needed during business hours, court and probation personnel need to email all interpreter requests to the Operations Team with the county name in the subject line.  Court and probation personnel should not be contacting the interpreters directly and scheduling interpreter services. The only exception is for unplanned probation needs outside of normal business hours.

The initial request needs to contain all the following information:

  • Language
  • Date
  • Start time of all court ordered meetings/hearings or probation activities
  • Name
  • Case Number
  • Charges
  • Courtroom #
  • Hearing Type
  • Judge's Name
  • Attorney's Name and/or PO's Name
  • Meeting Type (PSI, PDI, FTM…)
  • Expected Duration
  • Address where the interpreter needs to go
  • Contact person info

Court personnel should follow this formal request process even if the judge or clerk magistrate asked the interpreter on the record if they are available for the next court date.  This will ensure the Language Access Program can confirm an interpreter has been scheduled and ensure they are paid for their services. ​

Attorneys

The Language Access Program does not pay interpreters used to facilitate communication between an attorney and client outside of the hearing.  Interpreters can assist with brief conversations if time allows.  As a rule, attorneys should contract with interpreters when they need to meet with their clients to discuss their case, court processes, and strategy.  Use the Statewide Register of Interpreters to reach out to the interpreters for their current rates and availability. 

“To address these needs, the Nebraska Legislature, under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 and LB1014, set aside $500,000 in federal funds for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24 to reimburse expenses incurred in the provision of qualified, licensed sign language interpreters (whether on-site or remote) throughout the state (including Lincoln and Omaha) to provide effective communication access services between attorneys and deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing individuals outside of the courtroom.”  Click here for more information or contact the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  

Mental Health Board Hearings, Non-Court Ordered Mediation and State agencies

The Language Access Program does not pay for the interpreter when they are needed for Mental Health Board hearings, non-court ordered mediation or by other state agencies.  Use the Statewide Register of Interpreters to reach out to the interpreters for their current rates and availability.  

Workers Compensation Court

The Language Access Program will pay for the interpreter, but it is the employer’s obligation to schedule the interpreter.  Use the Statewide Register of Interpreters to find and secure an interpreter.  Please note that the Nebraska Supreme Court rule on interpreter payment rate must be adhered to, otherwise payment may be denied.    

Language(s) Name Type City Phone Email
Spanish Sylvia Gaylord Murray Certified Golden, CO 617-947-6218 Email
Spanish Abigail Acosta Registered Goodland, KS 402-649-7047 Email
Fur (Dar Fur), Juba Arabic, Sudanese Arabic, Nuba Moro, Arabic Estella Abuelsheikh Non-certified Grand Island, NE 308-379-8823 Email
Spanish Irma Watt Certified Grand Island, NE 402-459-0058 Email
Persian/Farsi/Dari, Tajik, Urdu Nadia Bessembinders Non-certified Gretna, NE 402-320-0536 Email
Amharic, Tigrinya, Italian Noel Abraham Non-certified Hawthorene, CA 310-500-6131 Email
K'iche Raul Vicente Non-certified Houston, TX 281-782-7576 Email
Japanese Satoshi Machida Non-certified Kearney, NE 402-219-3352 Email
Spanish Dulce Valdez Espinoza Registered Kearney, NE 308-325-9317 Email
Afrikaans Jacques Du Plessis Non-certified Kemmerer, WY 414-393-8937 Email
Hatian Creole Viking Merceron Certified Kennesaw, GA 678-557-1055 Email
K’ekchi/Q’eqchi James Yoder Non-certified Kokomo, MS 601-731-8070 Email
Georgian Katherine Stewart-Hilkert Non-certified La Plata, MD 813-405-9732 Email
Spanish Barbara Yuruvich Arias Certified Lakewood, CO 970-361-0595 Email
Spanish Al Villarreal Certified LaVista, NE 402-660-4493 Email
Spanish Cristina Kropf Certified LaVista, NE 402-630-5358 Email
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Janja Pavetic-Dickey Certified Lawrence, KS 785-393-7823 Email
Spanish Maria Reutlinger Registered Lexington, NE 308-325-6195 Email
Spanish Stacey Con Certified Lexington, NE 308-746-2623 Email
Somali Barre Hassan Non-certified Lexington, NE 402-314-9974 Email
Persian/Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Urdu Baktash Babagul Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-480-4181 Email
Pashto, Persian/Farsi/Dari, Urdu Feriedoon Hassan Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-318-4024 Email
Spanish Jo-Hanna Camacho Goettsche Certified Lincoln, NE 402-617-2743 Email
Chinese Mandarin Ralene Cheng Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-326-7849 Email
American Sign Language Margaret Propp Certified Lincoln, NE 402-314-3182 Email
Vietnamese Maizuyen Nguyen Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-304-5327 Email
Spanish Erick Saavedra Registered Lincoln, NE 402-730-7854 Email
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Elvis Acic Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-202-5819 Email
Liberian, Bassa Lois Akumeh Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-560-1124 Email
Spanish Lissette Gilster Registered Lincoln, NE 402-326-3956 Email
Russian, Ukrainian Oleg Stepanyuk Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-610-2618 Email
Spanish Alex Perez Certified Lincoln, NE 402-730-3440 Email
Russian, Ukrainian Nick Nersesian Registered Lincoln, NE 402-314-4441 Email
Spanish Dale Taylor Certified Lincoln, NE 402-841-0887 Email
Chinese Mandarin Zhaoyan Zhang Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-617-6952 Email
Portuguese, Tarahumara Dale Taylor Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-841-0887 Email
Deaf Interpreter Kim Davis Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-405-8786 Email
Burmese Kham Noam Nang Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-770-7256 Email
Ukrainian, Russian Serhiy Horokhovskyy Non-certified Lincoln, NE 402-853-6083 Email
American Sign Language Kelly Brakenhoff Certified Lincoln, NE 402-440-5237 Email