NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1965 SESSION

CHAPTER 868
HOUSE BILL 909

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR INTERPRETERS FOR DEAF PERSONS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1.  Whenever any deaf person is a party to any legal proceeding of any nature, or a witness therein, the court upon request of any party shall appoint a qualified interpreter of the deaf sign-language to interpret the proceedings to and the testimony of such deaf person. In proceedings involving possible commitment of a deaf person to a mental institution, the court shall appoint such interpreter upon its own initiative. In criminal cases and commitment proceedings, the court shall determine a reasonable fee for all such interpreter services which shall be paid out of the general county funds, and in civil cases, the said fee shall, be taxed as part of the court costs.
Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.
Sec. 3.  This Act shall become effective upon its ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 8th day of June, 1965.