For more detailed procedures, see also our Preauthorization Procedures page.
Third District and Fifth District—
Preauthorization for Translation Fees Required
The Third District and Fifth District have given CCAP the authority to preapprove interpreter expenses, up to $300 in a particular case. If you need to obtain preauthorization, you may do so through CCAP; the standards for approval will be the same as if requesting preapproval from the court, however, the procedure should take less time.
If you need an interpreter and the amount you expect to spend will be $300 or less, send your request to CCAP rather than the court. Your written request should include a description of the language to be translated, an evaluation of the need for translation, and an estimation of the fees needed for the entire case. Translation is limited to communication with your client; briefs and motions should not be translated. If you believe you need more than $300, you should continue to address the request to the court but send it to CCAP for review. We will then forward the request to the court along with our recommendation. If you get CCAP approval for an amount under $300, and then discover a need for further interpreter services that will take you over $300 total, the subsequent request will be treated as a request for more than $300 and will be forwarded to the court with CCAP’s recommendation. The subsequent request should indicate the amount that had previously been approved by CCAP.
A sample Interpreter Expenses, Request for Court Preauthorization is available on CCAP’s Motion Samples page under “I.”
Third District and Fifth District—
Preauthorization for Travel Required (other than oral argument)
The Third District and Fifth District have given CCAP the authority to preapprove up to $600 in travel expenses and related compensation without further order of the court by submitting in advance a written justification detailing a specific need and the estimated cost. Similar to interpreter expenses, CCAP will evaluate the need for the request and respond with a written authorization. Your written request should include the reason and need for the travel, the distance to be traveled, an estimate of the amount of time which will be spent traveling, the time needed to accomplish the task once you are there, the number of miles for which reimbursement will be sought, and any other related expenses for which reimbursement may be claimed. If you are not certain as to the amount of time to estimate, specify a maximum and represent that you hope to accomplish the travel or purpose in less time if possible. Keep in mind that you will be compensated based upon the most economical means of travel, so consider the alternatives. The request for travel expense approval should include a statement that the means of travel selected is believed to be the most economical available.
CCAP does not have preauthorization authority for habeas investigation travel or other habeas related expenses.
Note:
Preauthorization is required for translator expenses in both the Third and the Fifth. Translator fees that are not expected to exceed $300 may be submitted in writing directly to CCAP for preapproval. For fees expected to exceed $300, preauthorization by the court is required. For more information, see the Interpreter & Travel Expenses article. CCAP encourages attorneys to make use of the foreign language letters available on the website in order to reserve approved interpreter funds for advising the client about case specifics.