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Appointment of interpreter - 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4432

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     § 4432.  Appointment of interpreter.
        (a)  Appointment of certified interpreter.--Upon request or
     sua sponte, if the presiding judicial officer determines that a
     principal party in interest or witness is deaf, then a certified
     interpreter shall be appointed, unless the certified interpreter
     is unavailable as provided in subsection (b).
        (b)  Appointment of otherwise qualified interpreter when
     certified interpreter is unavailable.--
            (1)  An otherwise qualified interpreter shall be
        appointed by the presiding judicial officer if a good faith
        effort was made to obtain a certified interpreter and a
        certified interpreter was not reasonably available, as
        determined by the presiding judicial officer.
            (2)  Prior to the appointment of the otherwise qualified
        interpreter, the presiding judicial officer, pursuant to
        general rule, shall state on the record that a certified
        interpreter is not available and that the otherwise qualified
        interpreter:
                (i)  is readily able to interpret;
                (ii)  is certified by the National Association of the
            Deaf, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or
            similar registry to the best of the knowledge of the
            presiding judicial officer; and
                (iii)  has read, understands and agrees to abide by
            the code of professional conduct for court interpreters
            for persons who are deaf, as established by the Court
            Administrator.
        (c)  Additional interpreter.--After consideration of the
     length of the judicial proceeding, the special needs of the
     person who is deaf and the number of persons involved who are
     deaf, the presiding judicial officer may appoint, as provided in
     subsections (a) and (b), an additional interpreter or provide
     for additional interpretation in a manner deemed appropriate by
     the presiding judicial officer.
        (d)  Immediate family.--The presiding judicial officer may
     appoint, as provided in subsections (a) and (b), an interpreter
     or provide for additional interpretation, as provided in
     subsection (c), for an immediate family member of a principal
     party in interest.

Last modified: November 27, 2007