Florida Statute 90.6063 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title VII
EVIDENCE

Chapter 90
EVIDENCE CODE

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F.S. 90.6063

90.6063 Interpreter services for deaf persons.—

(1) The Legislature finds that it is an important concern that the rights of deaf citizens be protected. It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that appropriate and effective interpreter services be made available to Florida’s deaf citizens.

(2) In all judicial proceedings and in sessions of a grand jury wherein a deaf person is a complainant, defendant, witness, or otherwise a party, or wherein a deaf person is a juror or grand juror, the court or presiding officer shall appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings or deliberations to the deaf person and to interpret the deaf person’s testimony, statements, or deliberations to the court, jury, or grand jury. A qualified interpreter shall be appointed, or other auxiliary aid provided as appropriate, for the duration of the trial or other proceeding in which a deaf juror or grand juror is seated.

(3)(a) “Deaf person” means any person whose hearing is so seriously impaired as to prohibit the person from understanding oral communications when spoken in a normal, conversational tone.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “qualified interpreter” means an interpreter certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or an interpreter whose qualifications are otherwise determined by the appointing authority.

(4) Every deaf person whose appearance before a proceeding entitles him or her to an interpreter shall notify the appointing authority of his or her disability not less than 5 days prior to any appearance and shall request at such time the services of an interpreter. Whenever a deaf person receives notification of the time of an appearance before a proceeding less than 5 days prior to the proceeding, the deaf person shall provide his or her notification and request as soon thereafter as practicable. In any case, nothing in this subsection shall operate to relieve an appointing authority’s duty to provide an interpreter for a deaf person so entitled, and failure to strictly comply with the notice requirement will not be deemed a waiver of the right to an interpreter. An appointing authority may require a person requesting the appointment of an interpreter to furnish reasonable proof of the person’s disability when the appointing authority has reason to believe that the person is not so disabled.

(5) The appointing authority may channel requests for qualified interpreters through:

(a) The Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf;

(b) The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education; or

(6) No qualified interpreter shall be appointed unless the appointing authority and the deaf person make a preliminary determination that the interpreter is able to communicate readily with the deaf person and is able to repeat and translate statements to and from the deaf person accurately.

(7) Before a qualified interpreter may participate in any proceedings subsequent to an appointment under the provisions of this act, such interpreter shall make an oath or affirmation that he or she will make a true interpretation in an understandable manner to the deaf person for whom the interpreter is appointed and that he or she will repeat the statements of the deaf person in the English language to the best of his or her skill and judgment. Whenever a deaf person communicates through an interpreter to any person under such circumstances that the communication would be privileged, and the recipient of the communication could not be compelled to testify as to the communication, this privilege shall apply to the interpreter.

(8) An interpreter appointed by the court in a criminal matter or in a civil matter shall be entitled to a reasonable fee for such service, in addition to actual expenses for travel, to be paid out of general county funds.

History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, ch. 80-155; s. 42, ch. 81-259; s. 1, ch. 90-123; s. 2, ch. 93-125; s. 486, ch. 95-147; s. 6, ch. 99-8; s. 18, ch. 2002-22.

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Amendments to 90.6063

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 90.6063

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 90.6063.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 90.6063

Total Results: 9

IN RE: FINAL REPORT OF THE 20TH STATEWIDE GRAND JURY CASE 8 vs

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida | Date Filed: 2022-06-15

Snippet: juror or an interpreter appointed pursuant to s. 90.6063(2) shall not disclose the nature or substance of

Florida Hosp. Waterman, Inc. v. Buster

Court: Supreme Court of Florida | Date Filed: 2008-03-06

Citation: 984 So. 2d 478, 2008 WL 596700

Snippet: (2006) (privilege with respect to trade secrets); § 90.6063(7), Fla. Stat. (2006) (providing that where a deaf

Amendments to the Florida Evidence Code

Court: Supreme Court of Florida | Date Filed: 2004-12-09

Citation: 891 So. 2d 1037, 29 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 787, 2004 Fla. LEXIS 2244, 2004 WL 2814287

Snippet: Chapter 2002-22, section 18, amended section 90.6063, Florida Statutes, to reflect that requests for

Justice Coalition v. FIRST DCA JNC

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida | Date Filed: 2002-07-16

Citation: 823 So. 2d 185

Snippet: juror or an interpreter appointed pursuant to § 90.6063(2) shall not disclose the nature or substance of

In Re Amendments to Fla. Evidence Code

Court: Supreme Court of Florida | Date Filed: 2000-10-26

Citation: 782 So. 2d 339, 25 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 909, 2000 Fla. LEXIS 2043, 2000 WL 1587794

Snippet: privilege); 99-8, section 6 (amending section 90.6063(5)(b), Florida Statutes, Interpreter services for

Ago

Court: Florida Attorney General Reports | Date Filed: 1999-02-25

Snippet: juror or an interpreter appointed pursuant to s. 90.6063(2) shall not disclose the nature or substance of

DiLorenzo v. State

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida | Date Filed: 1998-06-17

Citation: 711 So. 2d 1362, 1998 WL 314625

Snippet: during the jury's deliberations. In 1993, section 90.6063(2), Florida Statutes (1993)[2] was amended to afford

Garcia v. State

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida | Date Filed: 1993-11-19

Citation: 627 So. 2d 74, 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 11644, 1993 WL 477639

Snippet: this appeal, we do find that, pursuant to section 90.6063, Florida Statutes (1991), the interpreter he used

Del Rio v. State

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida | Date Filed: 1983-07-05

Citation: 433 So. 2d 1028, 1983 Fla. App. LEXIS 27837

Snippet: 970, 100 S.Ct. 462, 62 L.Ed.2d 384 (1979), § 90.6063, Fla.Stat. (1981).