Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard will swear in the first five people to undergo the rigorous process required to become a certified court interpreter in Indiana.

The ceremony will take place in the Supreme Court Court Room on the third floor of the Indiana State House at 2 p.m. on March 23, 2005. The public and the media are welcome to attend.

The Spanish-speaking interpreters were certified through a national program that is designed to bring a high level of skill to translations in Indiana 's courtroom.

“This is an important milestone in our effort to make sure that Indiana 's courtrooms are truly open to everyone,” said Chief Justice Shepard.

Chief Justice Shepard will deliver the oath of office in Spanish. The oath was drafted by his staff and translated into Spanish by his former law clerk, Marisol Sanchez, who is an attorney with the Indianapolis law firm of Bose McKinney.

To view the ceremony on the Internet, visit: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/webcast .

For more information on the Court Interpreter Program of the Indiana Supreme Court and its Race and Gender Fairness Commission, visit http://www.in.gov/judiciary/interpreter .