Interpreters & Translators

Those who do not speak English, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are sight impaired can access translation and interpretation services to help navigate the legal system.

Language Access Services

The UJS is committed to providing access to interpreters and translators at no cost to a person whose presence is necessary or appropriate in a court proceeding. South Dakota law provides that if someone requires an interpreter or translator, one will be provided at no cost to the witness or party.

All individuals, regardless of language proficiency or sensory impairments, have equal access to the services provided by the UJS. By offering interpretive and translation services, the UJS upholds the principles of fairness and inclusivity, ensuring that everyone can fully participate in judicial proceedings and access necessary information. 

If you do not speak English, or if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or sight impaired, you can have interpretive and translation services provided at no charge. Please ask a member of the court staff for assistance.

Access Resources or Become an Interpreter

Amharic Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Ghirmay Solomon

Phone: 605-595-5946 (cell)
Phone: 605-271-7849 (home)
Email: ghirmay.solomon@yahoo.com

Language: Amharic, Tigrinya

Arabic Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Adil Abdulhassan

Language: Arabic

Dr. Ahmed Elsayed

Language: Arabic

Amine El Fajri

Language: Arabic

Khalid Tabidi

Language: Arabic

Czech Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Dr. Marcela Faflak

Language: Czech

French Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Grant Andersen

Language: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

German Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Angelika M. Bush

Language: German

Dr. Ginny Lewis

Language: German

Vladimir Reznkiov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Kamil Yakubov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Haitian Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Nadege Cherubin

Language: Haitian

Viking Merceron

Language: Haitian

Hindi

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Dr. Prem Timsina

Language: Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu

Seerat Sandhu

Language: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu

Hmong Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Chor Khang

Language: Hmong

Edmund Channita

Phone: 714-401-1546 (cell-preferred)
Phone: 714-539-8278 (office)
Email: edmundchannita@yahoo.com

Language: Hmong, Khmu, Laotian, Thai

Tou Sue Lee

Language: Hmong

Italian Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Grant Andersen

Language: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Mr. Luca Papini

Phone: 215-4236 (cell)
Email: luca.papini@gmail.com

Language: Italian

Kinyarwanda & Kirundi Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Niyukuri Firiberti

Language: Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili

K'iche' Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Sixta Sass

Language: Kʼicheʼ

Khmu Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Edmund Channita

Phone: 714-401-1546 (cell-preferred)
Phone: 714-539-8278 (office)
Email: edmundchannita@yahoo.com

Language: Hmong, Khmu, Laotian, Thai

Korean Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Kipyo Han

Language: Korean

Laotian Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Edmund Channita

Phone: 714-401-1546 (cell-preferred)
Phone: 714-539-8278 (office)
Email: edmundchannita@yahoo.com

Language: Hmong, Khmu, Laotian, Thai

P. Paul Littana

Language: Laotian, Thai

Mandarin Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Adrian Chiang Bradley

Language: Mandarin

Samuel Chong

Language: Mandarin

Wei Ralph

Language: Mandarin

Fengze Sun

Language: Mandarin

Jun Wan

Language: Mandarin

Nepali Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Puspa Luitel

Language: Nepali

Dr. Prem Timsina

Language: Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu

Polish Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Marysia McDowell

Language: Polish

Dr. Jan Puszynski

Language: Polish

Tomasz Poplawski

Language: Polish

Portuguese Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Grant Andersen

Language: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Ron Zellon

Language: Portuguese, Spanish

Punjabi Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Dr. Prem Timsina

Language: Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu

Seerat Sandhu

Language: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu

Russian Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Andrew Derbentsev-Crawford

Language: Russian

Natasha Geilman

Language: Russian

Vladimir Reznkiov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Anna Steingart

Language: Russian

Iouri Surnik

Language: Russian, Ukrainian

Kamil Yakubov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian) Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Chris Kunej

Language: Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian)

Hermin Husidic

Language: Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian)

Janja Pavetic-Dickey

Phone: 785-760-6535
Phone: 785-393-7823 (cell)
Email: jpdickey@att.net

Language: Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian)

Spanish Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Grant Andersen

Language: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Ivonne Bellew

Language: Spanish

Carmen Bremmon

Language: Spanish

Brenda Carbajal

Language: Spanish

Asusena Delhoyo

Language: Spanish

Jose Andres Diaz

Phone: 651-490-9612 (home)
Phone: 651-230-4090 (cell)
Email: andresdiazmn@gmail.com

Language: Spanish

Lisa M. Duranza

Language: Spanish

Sandra V.Guzman

Language: Spanish

Jonathan Holm

Language: Spanish

Rosa Iverson

Language: Spanish

Brandon Kirkland

Language: Spanish

Josie Koopmans
Jean Kouch

Language: Spanish

Rachel Leggett
Esperanza Lopez-Dominguez

Language: Spanish

Rosemary McCoy

Language: Spanish

Jorge Otamendi

Language: Spanish

Sarah C. Pfefferle

Language: Spanish

Vladimir Reznkiov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Raymond Rodriguez-Febles

Language: Spanish

Antonio (Tony) Rosado

Language: Spanish

Katie Semmler

Language: Spanish

Douglas Stewart

Phone: 530-474-4792 (home)
Phone: 530-945-6567 (cell)
Email: douglaswarhorse@yahoo.com

Language: Spanish

Tanya Urquieta

Language: Spanish

Lesley Walker

Language: Spanish

Edda Winkelman

Language: Spanish

Kamil Yakubov

Language: German, Russian, Spanish

Ron Zellon

Language: Portuguese, Spanish

Maureen Zimney

Phone: 605-381-4330 (cell)
Email: mozimney@yahoo.com

Language: Spanish

Swahili Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Niyukuri Firiberti

Language: Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili

Thai Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
P. Paul Littana

Language: Laotian, Thai

Edmund Channita

Phone: 714-401-1546 (cell-preferred)
Phone: 714-539-8278 (office)
Email: edmundchannita@yahoo.com

Language: Hmong, Khmu, Laotian, Thai

Tigrinya Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Ghirmay Solomon

Phone: 605-595-5946 (cell)
Phone: 605-271-7849 (home)
Email: ghirmay.solomon@yahoo.com

Language: Amharic, Tigrinya

Ukrainian Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Iouri Surnik

Language: Russian, Ukrainian

Urdu Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Dr. Prem Timsina

Language: Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu

Seerat Sandhu

Language: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu

Vietnamese Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Ryan Triet Le

Language: Vietnamese

Agencies — Various Language

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
All Nations Interpreters, Inc.
707 W 11th St. Ste 1
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Various Languages

A to Z World Languages, Inc.
406 South 2nd Avenue
Suite 201
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Various Languages

Culture Crossings LLC

Language: French, Spanish

Language Line Services
1 Lower Ragsdale Drive #2
Monterey, CA 93940

Various Languages

Language Phone Inc.
2108 N St #7172
Sacramento, CA 95816

Various Languages

Lutheran Social Services
705 East 41st Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57103

Various Languages

Multi-Cultural Center
515 North Main Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Various Languages

Smart Business Partners (Interpreters)
415 East 13th Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Various Languages

Via Language
PO Box 962
Worthington, MN 56187

Various Languages

Second Circuit Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Angelica Fechner

Language: Spanish

Cherith Mellor

Language: Spanish

Community Interpreter Services

Language: Various Languages

Deya Thorin

Language: Spanish

Ghirmay Solomon

Phone: 605-595-5946 (cell)
Phone: 605-271-7849 (home)
Email: ghirmay.solomon@yahoo.com

Language: Amharic, Tigrinya

Ping Lau

Language: Certified Mandarin/Cantonese

Sandra V.Guzman

Language: Spanish

Scott Homler

Language: French

Sioux Falls Multicultural Center
515 N. Main Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

39 languages available; video link possible from the Sioux Falls courthouse)

Zolia Talavera

Language: Spanish

Fourth Circuit Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Edda Winkelman

Language: Spanish

Eric Baxter
2309 Blue Bell Loup
Spearfish, SD 57783

Languages: French & Spanish

Jennifer Taylor

Language: Communication Services for the Deaf

Sarah C. Pfefferle

Language: Spanish

Fifth Circuit Interpreters

Name
Address
Contact
Comment
Dr. Marcela Faflak

Language: Czech

Dr. Ginny Lewis

Language: German

Nancy Schlichenmeyer

Communication Services For The Deaf (CSD)