New Mexico Statutes Chapter 38. Trials § 38-9-2. Definitions

A. “appointing authority” means the presiding judge or magistrate of any court and the hearing officer or other person authorized to administer oaths in any administrative proceeding before a board, commission, agency, institution, department or licensing authority of the state or any of its political subdivisions wherein an interpreter is required pursuant to the provisions of the Deaf Interpreter Act;

B. “deaf person” means any person whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing is so seriously impaired as to prohibit him from understanding voice communications;

C. “principal party in interest” means a person in any judicial or administrative proceeding in which he is a named party or who will or may be bound by the decision or action or foreclosed from pursuing his rights by the decision or action which may be taken in the proceeding; and

D. “interpreter” means a person who may through sign language, manual spelling or orally, through lip reading, as required, translate and communicate between a principal party in interest and other parties.