During a pretrial interview, the defendant tells the interpreter—not the attorney—that he plans to kill a witness. The interpreter's ethical obligation is most likely to:
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AMaintain confidentiality because the statement was made in an interpreting context
BInform the defendant's attorney privately and take no further action
CImmediately call law enforcement without notifying the attorney
DInform the supervising judge or follow the court's established protocol for imminent threats
✓ Correct answer: D. Inform the supervising judge or follow the court's established protocol for imminent threatsMost jurisdictions recognize a duty-to-warn or public safety exception to confidentiality when there is an imminent credible threat of serious harm. The interpreter should follow the court's established protocol, which typically involves notifying the presiding judge rather than acting unilaterally.
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