The Interpreter’s Standoff
A courtroom drama unfolds when a key Indigenous interpreter refuses to work without guaranteed pay, stalling a high-stakes murder case.
The story, cleaned up
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Jacky Smokalem was brought before Judge Snell to enter a plea of not guilty to a murder charge, but proceedings halted because no interpreter was present. Tommy Santiago Howard, who had served in previous hearings, was ordered to appear but refused, citing lack of past payment. Howard, who was himself serving a 20-year sentence for the murder of Kate Arquette, had clearly reached his limit with the court's bookkeeping. Ultimately, Deputy Sheriff William Lane was sworn in to interpret the Chinook language, allowing the plea to be entered. Smokalem, currently held in the city jail, has reportedly attempted suicide twice while awaiting trial.
“Tommy refused to appear on the ground that he did not receive any pay as an interpreter on former occasions.”
This incident highlights the systemic inequities and disregard for Indigenous labor within the territorial and early state court systems. The cold, bureaucratic handling of Smokalem's case and Howard's defiance provides a rare glimpse into the voices often marginalized in historical legal records.
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