{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1902","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 2-1902","heading":"Interpreters required.","body":"(a)\nWhenever a communication-impaired person is a party or witness, or whenever a juvenile whose parent or parents are communication impaired is brought before a court at any stage of a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding before a division or office of a court of the District of Columbia, including, but not limited to, civil and criminal court proceedings, proceedings before a commissioner, juvenile proceedings, child support and paternity proceedings, and mental health commitment proceedings, the appointing authority may appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the communication-impaired person and to interpret the communication-impaired person’s testimony. The appointing authority shall appoint a qualified interpreter upon the request of the communication-impaired person.\n\n(b)\nIn any criminal, delinquency, or child neglect proceeding in which counsel has been appointed to represent an indigent defendant who is communication-impaired, a qualified interpreter shall be appointed to assist in communication with counsel in all phases of the preparation and presentation of the case.\n\n(c)\nWhenever a communication-impaired person is a party or a witness in an administrative proceeding before a department, board, commission, agency, or licensing authority of the District of Columbia, the appointing authority conducting the proceeding may appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the communication-impaired person and to interpret the communication-impaired person’s testimony. The appointing authority shall appoint a qualified interpreter upon the request of the communication-impaired person.\n\n(d)\nWhenever a communication-impaired person is a witness before any legislative committee, the appointing authority conducting the proceeding may appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the communication-impaired person and to interpret the communication-impaired person’s testimony. The appointing authority shall appoint a qualified interpreter upon the request of the communication-impaired person.\n\n(e)\n(1)\nWhenever a communication-impaired person is arrested and taken into custody for an alleged violation of a criminal law, the arresting officer shall either:\n(A)\nProcure a qualified interpreter to translate or interpret information to and from the person during any custodial interrogation, warning, notification of rights, or taking of a written or oral statement; or\n(B)\nHave a qualified interviewer conduct the custodial interrogation, warning, notification of rights, or taking of a written or oral statement in a language other than English, including sign language.\n(2)\nNo person who has been arrested but who is otherwise eligible for release shall be held in custody pending arrival of a qualified interpreter or qualified interviewer.\n(3)\nNo answer, statement, or admission, written or oral, made by a communication-impaired person in reply to a question of a law enforcement officer may be used against that communication-impaired person in any criminal or delinquency proceeding unless the answer, statement, or admission was made or elicited through either a qualified interpreter or a qualified interviewer and was made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently or, in the case of a waiver, unless the court makes a special finding upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence that the answer, statement, or admission made by the communication-impaired person was made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently.\n(4)\nA qualified interpreter shall be used to translate any statement taken by a qualified interviewer into English for use in any criminal or delinquency proceeding.","path":["Title 2. Government Administration.","Chapter 19. Government Language Accessibility.","Subchapter I. Interpreters."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/2-1902","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"a2fdd5748e945875253743969dd78fdeee0c3df4d48862eb72157c765206a24e","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1901","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-1903"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}