{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-164.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-164.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-164.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-164.html"}],"law_id":82705,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82705,"structure_id":15732,"section_number":"19.2-164","catch_line":"Interpreters for non-English-speaking persons (Supreme Court Rule 2:507 derived in part from this section)","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-246.1; 1966, c. 240; 1974, c. 110; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 601; 1982, c. 444; 1985, c. 396; 1995, c. 546; 1996, c. 402; 2003, c. 1011; 2007, c. 383.","full_text":"In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is the accused, an interpreter for the non-English-speaking person shall be appointed. In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is a victim or witness, an interpreter shall be appointed by the judge of the court in which the case is to be heard unless the court finds that the person does not require the services of a court-appointed interpreter. An English-speaking person fluent in the language of the country of the accused, a victim or a witness shall be appointed by the judge of the court in which the case is to be heard, unless such person obtains an interpreter of his own choosing who is approved by the court as being competent. The compensation of an interpreter appointed by the court pursuant to this section shall be fixed by the court in accordance with guidelines set by the Judicial Council of Virginia and shall be paid from the general fund of the state treasury as part of the expense of trial. Such fee shall not be assessed as part of the costs unless (i) an interpreter has been appointed for the defendant, (ii) the defendant fails to appear, (iii) the interpreter appears in the case and no other case on that date, and (iv) the defendant is convicted of a failure to appear on that date the interpreter appeared in the case, then the court, in its discretion, may assess as costs the fee paid to the interpreter. Whenever a person communicates through an interpreter to any person under such circumstances that the communication would be privileged, and such person could not be compelled to testify as to the communications, this privilege shall also apply to the interpreter. The provisions of this section shall apply in both circuit courts and district courts.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":296314,"text":"In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is the accused, an interpreter for the non-English-speaking person shall be appointed. In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is a victim or witness, an interpreter shall be appointed by the judge of the court in which the case is to be heard unless the court finds that the person does not require the services of a court-appointed interpreter. An English-speaking person fluent in the language of the country of the accused, a victim or a witness shall be appointed by the judge of the court in which the case is to be heard, unless such person obtains an interpreter of his own choosing who is approved by the court as being competent. The compensation of an interpreter appointed by the court pursuant to this section shall be fixed by the court in accordance with guidelines set by the Judicial Council of Virginia and shall be paid from the general fund of the state treasury as part of the expense of trial. Such fee shall not be assessed as part of the costs unless (i) an interpreter has been appointed for the defendant, (ii) the defendant fails to appear, (iii) the interpreter appears in the case and no other case on that date, and (iv) the defendant is convicted of a failure to appear on that date the interpreter appeared in the case, then the court, in its discretion, may assess as costs the fee paid to the interpreter. Whenever a person communicates through an interpreter to any person under such circumstances that the communication would be privileged, and such person could not be compelled to testify as to the communications, this privilege shall also apply to the interpreter. The provisions of this section shall apply in both circuit courts and district courts.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15732,"edition_id":1,"name":"Interpreters","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":15037,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:58:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:58:31","permalink":{"id":168433,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15732,"identifier":"5","token":"19.2\/10\/5","url":"\/19.2\/10\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":15037,"edition_id":1,"name":"Disability of Judge or Attorney for Commonwealth; Court- Appointed Counsel; Interpreters; Transcripts","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","permalink":{"id":168319,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15037,"identifier":"10","token":"19.2\/10","url":"\/19.2\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82705,"structure_id":15732,"section_number":"19.2-164","catch_line":"Interpreters for non-English-speaking persons (Supreme Court Rule 2:507 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-164\/","token":"19.2\/10\/5\/19.2-164","metadata":false},{"id":60354,"structure_id":15732,"section_number":"19.2-164.1","catch_line":"Interpreters for the deaf (Supreme Court Rule 2:507 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-164.1\/","token":"19.2\/10\/5\/19.2-164.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":60354,"structure_id":15732,"section_number":"19.2-164.1","catch_line":"Interpreters for the deaf (Supreme Court Rule 2:507 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-164.1\/","token":"19.2\/10\/5\/19.2-164.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-164\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 10 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1966, chapter 240; in 1974, chapter 110; in 1975, chapter 495; in 1978, chapter 601; in 1982, chapter 444; in 1985, chapter 396; in 1995, chapter 546<\/a>; in 1996, chapter 402<\/a>; in 2003, chapter 1011<\/a>; in 2007, chapter 383<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":56192,"section_number":"19.2-11.01","catch_line":"Crime victim and witness rights","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-11.01\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168435,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82705,"identifier":"19.2-164","token":"19.2\/10\/5\/19.2-164","url":"\/19.2-164\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-164\/","token":"19.2\/10\/5\/19.2-164","dublin_core":{"Title":"Interpreters for non-English-speaking persons (Supreme Court Rule 2:507 derived in part from this section)","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-164","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is the accused<\/span>, an interpreter for the non-English-speaking person shall be appointed. In any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is a victim or witness<\/span>, an interpreter shall be appointed by the judge<\/span> of the court<\/span> in which the case is to be heard unless the court<\/span> finds that the person does not require the services of a court<\/span>-appointed interpreter. An English-speaking person fluent in the language of the country of the accused<\/span>, a victim or a witness<\/span> shall be appointed by the judge<\/span> of the court<\/span> in which the case is to be heard, unless such person obtains an interpreter of his own choosing who is approved by the court<\/span> as being competent. The compensation of an interpreter appointed by the court<\/span> pursuant to this section shall be fixed by the court<\/span> in accordance with guidelines set by the Judicial Council of Virginia and shall be paid from the general fund of the state treasury as part of the expense of trial<\/span>. Such fee shall not be assessed as part of the costs unless (i) an interpreter has been appointed for the defendant<\/span>, (ii) the defendant<\/span> fails to appear, (iii) the interpreter appears in the case and no other case on that date, and (iv) the defendant<\/span> is convicted of a failure to appear on that date the interpreter appeared in the case, then the court<\/span>, in its discretion, may assess as costs the fee paid to the interpreter. Whenever a person communicates through an interpreter to any person under such circumstances that the communication would be privileged, and such person could not be compelled to testify as to the communications, this privilege<\/span> shall also apply to the interpreter. The provisions of this section shall apply in both circuit<\/span> courts<\/span> and district courts<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINTERPRETERS FOR NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING PERSONS (SUPREME COURT RULE 2:507 DERIVED\nIN PART FROM THIS SECTION) (\u00a7 19.2-164)\n\nIn any criminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is the accused, an\ninterpreter for the non-English-speaking person shall be appointed. In any\ncriminal case in which a non-English-speaking person is a victim or witness, an\ninterpreter shall be appointed by the judge of the court in which the case is to\nbe heard unless the court finds that the person does not require the services of\na court-appointed interpreter. An English-speaking person fluent in the language\nof the country of the accused, a victim or a witness shall be appointed by the\njudge of the court in which the case is to be heard, unless such person obtains\nan interpreter of his own choosing who is approved by the court as being\ncompetent. The compensation of an interpreter appointed by the court pursuant to\nthis section shall be fixed by the court in accordance with guidelines set by\nthe Judicial Council of Virginia and shall be paid from the general fund of the\nstate treasury as part of the expense of trial. Such fee shall not be assessed\nas part of the costs unless (i) an interpreter has been appointed for the\ndefendant, (ii) the defendant fails to appear, (iii) the interpreter appears in\nthe case and no other case on that date, and (iv) the defendant is convicted of\na failure to appear on that date the interpreter appeared in the case, then the\ncourt, in its discretion, may assess as costs the fee paid to the interpreter.\nWhenever a person communicates through an interpreter to any person under such\ncircumstances that the communication would be privileged, and such person could\nnot be compelled to testify as to the communications, this privilege shall also\napply to the interpreter. The provisions of this section shall apply in both\ncircuit courts and district courts.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-246.1; 1966, c. 240; 1974, c. 110; 1975, c. 495;\n1978, c. 601; 1982, c. 444; 1985, c. 396; 1995, c. 546; 1996, c. 402; 2003, c.\n1011; 2007, c. 383.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}