Civil actions: interpreter costs: indigent.

Existing law provides that in a civil action, the prevailing party, as defined, is generally entitled to recover specified costs in an action or proceeding. These costs include court interpreter fees when the court has authorized a court interpreter for an indigent person represented by a legal services project serving indigent persons. Existing law also defines a pro bono attorney as an attorney, law firm, or legal corporation that undertakes representation of a party without charge to that party. This bill would provide that court interpreter fees may also be recovered when the court has authorized a court interpreter for an indigent person who is represented by pro bono attorney, as defined. Existing law provides for a program regulated by the State Bar that provides civil legal services to indigent persons, and requires a contract with the state for legal services that exceeds $50,000 to certify that the contracting law firm agrees to make a good faith effort to provide a specified minimum number of hours of pro bono legal services, as defined, during each year of the contract. Failure to make a good faith effort to provide those pro bono legal services may be cause for nonrenewal of the state contract for legal services. Under the bill, the certification of pro bono legal services for a legal services contract with the state exceeding $50,000 could be fulfilled by a certification to make either a good faith effort to provide the specified minimum number of hours of pro bono legal services or an equivalent amount of financial contributions to qualified legal services and support centers, as defined.