Credit: Gorodenkoff Productions OU/Adobe Stock

The New Jersey judiciary released a report on its investigation into allegations made by Judge Jason Witcher regarding discrimination against Latino defendants in his courtroom and a plan for statewide reform to raise awareness of interpreting services for both virtual and in-person appearances.

On Dec. 5, 2022, Witcher alleged that a disproportionate number of Latino defendants were required to appear for court in person, while others were allowed to appear virtually. According to the report, in order for the judiciary to determine the veracity of the allegations, it categorized surnames that were "Hispanic/Latino sounding." After reviewing the defendant rosters, the judiciary concluded that Hispanic/Latino individuals were consistently scheduled for both virtual and in-person court sessions and were more likely to appear virtually.