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Under the courts' policy Spanish interpreters are scheduled only for announcement and trial dates; counsel who needs an interpreter for a pre-trial setting must notify the District Judge's office immediately on receiving the setting notice so the court administrator can schedule one; counsel are directed to the attached cancellation policies of the two interpreters the courts use (two-hour minimums for cancellations on less than 24 hours' notice).
Applies to attorneys with Spanish-speaking clients or witnesses in the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts sitting in Bee County (the courts serve Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen and San Patricio Counties). Signed by Judge Whatley on the three judges' letterhead as the courts' policy; no judge join. Not registered on TOPICs; posted on the 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts' own website (www.36-156-343districtcourts.org, served on the CIRA platform under www.co.zapata.tx.us/page/districtcourt.*, from which BenchPath's custody copy was fetched). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
May 8, 2018 (letterhead: Starr Boldrick Bauer, District Judge 36th Judicial District; Patrick L. Flanigan, District Judge 156th Judicial District; Janna K. Whatley, District Judge 343rd Judicial District — District Judge's Office, P.O. Box 700, Sinton, Texas 78387-0700, (361) 364-9310; counties Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio). To: Spanish speaking Attorneys. Re: Interpreters. Interpreters will only be scheduled for announcement and trial dates, in pursuant to new policy regarding Spanish speaking interpreters. If one is needed for Pre-Trial, you must notify the District Judge's office immediately upon receipt of setting notice, so that the court administrator can have one scheduled. Attached are the cancellation policies of the two Spanish speaking interpreters we are currently using. Please note especially their policies on cancelling trial hearings. Please share with any other Spanish speaking attorneys that you may know of. A copy of this letter will be available on the Judge's web page at 36-156-343districtcourts.org. Sincerely, Janna Whatley, District Judge. cc: District Judges, Court Administrators. [Attachments (pages 2–4): the cancellation policies of the two Spanish interpreters the courts were then using — a licensed master interpreter's April 27, 2018 fee letter (two-hour minimum, two-hour cancellation charge without 24 hours' notice, travel time and mileage, a two-hour minimum for the trial day and the following day when a week-long trial block is cancelled) and an April 19, 2018 e-mail exchange with a second interpreter (a two-hour minimum charged for cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, possible mileage, and a further two-hour minimum for the second day of a multi-day engagement cancelled on the first day) — and the court administrator's May 8, 2018 transmittal e-mail. Vendor rates are described, not transcribed.]
May 8, 2018 (letterhead: Starr Boldrick Bauer, District Judge 36th Judicial District; Patrick L. Flanigan, District Judge 156th Judicial District; Janna K. Whatley, District Judge 343rd Judicial District — District Judge's Office, P.O. Box 700, Sinton, Texas 78387-0700, (361) 364-9310; counties Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio). To: Spanish speaking Attorneys. Re: Interpreters. Inter
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 from BenchPath's own-site custody copy (four image-only pages read through the vision lane; the letter is transcribed and the attached vendor fee letters and e-mails are described, not transcribed). The letterhead of the time names Judge Flanigan for the 156th. Bee County edition of a five-county instrument.
Judge Wolfe enforces AO S-2024-062(28)(A) with teeth: every pretrial motion in a case transferred to TD-3 must be scheduled and heard by the original transferring judge — failure to do so timely is deemed a waiver.
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