Baltimore, MD asked in Family Law for California

Q: The attorney representing the plaintiff purposefully and with malicious intent translated my email.

The attorney representing the plaintiff purposefully and with malicious intent translated my email from Chinese, providing a translation certificate, which was then submitted to the court. Within this translation, she inserted offensive language ("hell") nine times. Additionally, she rendered the phrase "go away" as "f*** off" in two distinct contexts. She also replaced "disturbing" with "ruining" and "destroying," and further modified "expose you" to "I intend to publicly disclose your information" in her translation. Given these circumstances, I am wondering whether I have substantial grounds to initiate legal action against her to address the resulting damages. If such grounds exist, I would appreciate guidance on how to calculate the extent of the damages incurred.

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2 Lawyer Answers
Tobie B. Waxman
Tobie B. Waxman
Answered
  • Culver City, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: A better plan would be to respond to this submission with your own certified translation with a declaration advising the court as to the incorrect and improper translation. As far as legal action, I would think it would be against the certified translator; not the attorney who retained him/her. Certified translators likely have a governing body to whom you can relay your concerns and complaints.

James L. Arrasmith
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Answered
  • Sacramento, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: If you believe that the attorney representing the plaintiff deliberately manipulated the translation of your email with malicious intent, potentially causing damage to your reputation, you may have grounds to initiate a legal action against her for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, or other applicable claims. Consult with an attorney experienced in defamation and tort law to assess the specifics of your case and to determine the extent of damages incurred.

James L. Arrasmith

Founder and Chief Legal Counsel of The Law Offices of James L. Arrasmith

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