The court administrator’s office at the Duval County Courthouse is hosting a special visitor this summer. Clara Balducci, 18, is visiting Conni Lewis, senior deputy court administrator, and has been coming to work with her to learn about the American judicial system.
“My dream is to be an interpreter,” said Balducci, who lives in Rome and speaks Italian, English, French and Spanish. This is her first trip to America and she will return to Italy Aug. 8.
“Since she wants to become an interpreter, I told her I would let her sit in on court cases where there are interpreters,” said Lewis, who is engaged to Balducci’s uncle, Nino Romano. “We are hoping we will have an Italian interpretation come about while she is still here because the interpreters that we use said she could sit in on that and see what it’s all about.”
During her stay, she has observed proceedings in the adult drug, family, juvenile and criminal courts.
Balducci said after finishing high school she would like to return to Florida to attend college.