Civil Rights Advocates Announce Press Conference to Spotlight CA Judicial Council’s Pursuit of High-Risk AI Technology for State Courts
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release: October 14, 2026
Contact: Sin Yen Ling, CAA, 415.274.6750, syling@caasf.org
Mia Murrietta, CRLA, (559) 606-1924, mmurrietta@crla.org
Civil Rights Advocates Announce Press Conference to Spotlight CA Judicial Council’s Pursuit of High-Risk AI Technology for State Courts
Civil rights advocates seek to stop private vendor contract for error-prone automated translation system
San Francisco, CA – Artificial intelligence is making its way into California’s court system, raising serious concerns about accuracy and fairness for people seeking justice. On October 16, 2026, civil rights advocates will hold a press conference after a meeting of the California Judicial Council, where they will urge the Council to reconsider its plan to outsource language translation services to private companies using error-prone Voice to Text Translation (VTT) technology.
What: Press Conference on Use of High-Risk Automated Translation in State Courts
When: Friday, October 16, 2026, 11:00 AM-11:30AM
Where: 350 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (exterior steps)
Who: Chinese for Affirmative Action; California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.; Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project; Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles; Asian Law Caucus; Respond Crisis Translation
Advocates warn that inaccurate AI-generated translations can distort legal information, miscommunicate court procedures, and prevent people with limited English proficiency from fully understanding their legal rights and obligations.
Additionally, the weak oversight requirements in the Council’s recent Request for Proposals indicate a concerning precedent for how high-risk automated systems may be used by courts without considering their impact on Californians engaged in legal proceedings that affect their housing, safety, and livelihoods. While many state agencies are required by law to report use of high-risk automated systems, the state judiciary is a notable exception.
In August of this year, 35 organizations led by California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA), Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), and Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) submitted a written comment to the Judicial Council revealing serious errors resulting from a 2020-2026 VTT pilot in state courts.
They also outlined clear steps for courts to meet their legal obligations to serve all residents, based on the language access plan adopted by the Judicial Council in 2015, which remains only partially implemented.
Despite the evidence of VTT’s harms and clear ways to improve existing language access services, the Judicial Council proceeded to post a Request for Proposals in late August 2026 that indicates a private vendor contract start date of December 1, 2026.
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About California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) is a nonprofit, anti-poverty law firm that dismantles unjust systems through community lawyering in California’s historically rural areas. We work with people priced out of private legal representation so they can uphold civil rights in housing, employment, health, and public education. Through our 17 Rural Justice Centers, communities can access a broad range of legal tools, including direct legal services, place-based advocacy to expand equity in civic institutions, and specialized litigation to advance civil rights.
About Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is a nonprofit law firm that protects and advances the rights of the most underserved – leveling the playing field and ensuring that everyone can have access to the justice system. Every year, LAFLA’s free, high-quality legal services impact more than 100,000 people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. Our unique combination of neighborhood offices, self-help centers at courthouses, and domestic violence clinics puts LAFLA on the front lines in vulnerable communities, and at the forefront of change.
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) aims to support, organize, and empower the indigenous migrant communities in California’s Central Coast. We operate over 20 programs across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, offering a range of social services and community organizing programs, Indigenous Language Interpretation Services (ILIS), and Radio Indigena 94.1 FM. For more information, please visit mixteco.org
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. You can learn more about us at caasf.org.
