US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

    (a) In all civil and criminal cases, in workers' compensation, district, family, and superior court, and in the state traffic tribunal, and in any case in any municipal court pursuant to chapter 18 of this title, where a party or a witness is a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, he or she shall have the proceedings of the trial interpreted to him or her in a language that he or she can understand by a qualified interpreter appointed by the court. In any case where an interpreter is required to be appointed by the court under this section, the court shall not commence proceedings until the appointed interpreter is in court in a position not exceeding ten feet (10') from and in full view of the person who is deaf or hard of hearing. The interpreter appointed under the terms of the section shall be required to take an oath that he or she will make a true interpretation to the person who is deaf or hard of hearing of all the proceedings of the case in a language that he or she understands; and will repeat the answer of the person who is deaf or hard of hearing to questions to counsel, court, or jury in the English language, in his or her best skill and judgment.

   (b) For the purposes of this section, "person who is hard of hearing" means a person who as a result of a hearing impairment, requires sign language and/or speech reading as part of his or her communication system. A "qualified interpreter" means an interpreter for the person who is hard of hearing skilled in sign language or oral interpretation and transliteration, having the ability to communicate accurately with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. An interpreter shall be deemed qualified as determined by the commission on the deaf and hard of hearing, based upon recommendations from the commission and the deaf and hard of hearing interpreter screening committee, the Rhode Island association of the deaf, the national registry of interpreters for the deaf, and other appropriate agencies. The commission on the deaf and hard of hearing shall coordinate all requests for qualified interpreters and shall maintain a list of all such interpreters from which it shall fill such requests. No interpreter is precluded from being further examined by the court system.

   (c) Interpreters appointed under the terms of the section shall be paid by the state or municipality a reasonable compensation fixed by the court.