2012 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 8 - Courts and Civil Procedure–Courts
Chapter 8-19 - Language Interpreters – Use of Language Interpreters in Legal Proceedings
Chapter 8-19-3 - Appointment of state certified or qualified interpreters.

§ 8-19-3 Appointment of state certified or qualified interpreters. – (a) When a non-English speaking person is a party to a defined legal proceeding, the appointing authority shall, in the absence of written waiver by such person, appoint a state certified interpreter to assist such person during the legal proceeding. Pursuant to § 8-19-5, the state department of higher education and the state court administrator's office shall maintain a list of Rhode Island state certified interpreters from which the appointing authority shall make its appointments.

(b) The appointing authority may appoint a qualified interpreter in place of a state certified interpreter when:

(1) A good faith effort has been made to locate and obtain the services of a state certified interpreter and one is not available; and

(2) The appointing authority makes a finding that the proposed qualified interpreter appears to have adequate language skills, knowledge of interpreting techniques, familiarity with interpreting in a court or hearing, and that he/she has read, understands, and will abide by an established code of ethics for language interpreters pursuant to this chapter; and

(3) The proceeding is one of a preliminary nature and of a short duration. Proceedings of a preliminary nature may include but not be limited to:

(i) Arraignments;

(ii) Costs, restitution, and/or fine reviews;

(iii) Probation reviews;

(iv) Preliminary hearings on pretrial motions;

(v) Appearances before the court on bench warrants or arrest warrants.

(c) If any relationship between the interpreter and any of the parties, attorneys, witnesses, victims or any other persons involved in the proceeding exists, the nature of that relationship shall be disclosed to the appointing authority on the record and the appointing authority may in its discretion excuse the interpreter from said proceeding.

History of Section.
(P.L. 1999, ch. 340, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 415, § 15.)