ARTICLE 7. OFFICIAL REPORTERS.

§51-7-1. Appointment; oath; attendance at grand jury sessions.

The circuit courts of the several judicial circuits in this state, or the judges thereof in vacation, or the judges of any intermediate, criminal or common pleas court, are hereby empowered and authorized to appoint competent shorthand reporters to take and report, under such regulations as such judges, or any of them, may prescribe, the proceedings had and the testimony given in any case, either civil or criminal, or in any other proceeding had in such court, including the taking of testimony before the grand jury of such court for the use of the prosecuting attorney of the county, and in proceedings before the judge of such court in vacation, and otherwise to aid the judge in the performance of his official duties.

The appointment of such reporter may be made by the judge of such court by an order entered of record, and the reporter so appointed shall be designated the "official reporter" of the court for which he shall be appointed.

Such reporter, when appointed, shall be qualified under oath, and shall be authorized to attend the sessions of the grand jury, but shall retire from such session when directed by the foreman, or a majority of the grand jury, or when ordered to do so by the court, and when the grand jury desires to consult or vote upon any matters before them.

§51-7-2. Duty to take shorthand notes.

It shall be the duty of such reporter to take full shorthand notes of the testimony and proceedings in which his services may be required, and such notes shall be deemed and held to be official and the best authority in any matter in dispute.

§51-7-3.  Compensation for attending court and taking notes.

The official reporter shall receive, for his or her services and expenses in attending the court or judge and in taking the notes provided for in section two of this article, such salary or other compensation as the court or judge, in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court of Appeals, may allow. If such salary be allowed, it shall be paid at least twice per month, out of the State Treasury. If no such salary be allowed, such other compensation and expenses as may be allowed in civil cases shall be certified by the court or judge to the Auditor and the same shall be paid out of the State Treasury. Such other compensation and expenses in felony and, misdemeanor cases shall be certified to the Auditor and paid out of the State Treasury. The salary or other compensation provided for in this section shall not be deemed to include the making of typewritten transcripts as provided for in section four of this article.

§51-7-4. Transcript of notes; fees; authenticity; transcript for judge in criminal cases.

The reporter shall furnish, upon request, to any party to a case, a typewritten transcript of the testimony or other proceedings, which shall be upon paper measuring eight and one-half inches in width and eleven inches in length, with margins of one-half inch on the right side and bottom, one inch at the top and one and one-half inches on the left, with the page filled as completely as practicable, with at least twenty-four complete lines on each page, with no more than double spacing used between lines, with no more than five spaces used for indentation from the left margin, with no larger than ten point pica type being used, and shall certify the same as being correct and shall be paid therefor, by the party requesting the transcript, at the rate of $2.85 for each page so transcribed and stamped "original"; and for each copy of the transcript stamped "copy", ordered at any time, he or she shall be paid $1 for each page so furnished: Provided, That if any "original" transcript does not conform with the specifications set forth in this section, the party requesting the transcript may not be obligated to pay for the transcript: Provided, however, That the copy of the transcript may be provided either on disc or with multiple transcript pages condensed on each page if the court reporter can produce such a disc or copy and if the party requesting the copy specifically asks for a disc or a condensed page transcript: Provided further, That the reporter shall be paid at the same rate for each page as the copy rate for the original for a disc or for a condensed page transcript.

A transcript of the testimony or proceedings, when certified by the official reporter and by the judge of the court, shall be authentic for all purposes, and shall be used by the parties to the cause in any further proceeding therein wherein the use of the same may be required. An original transcript shall, upon completion and certification, be filed with the circuit clerk. The original transcript may be used, without further authentication, in making up the record on appeal, as provided in sections thirty-six and thirty-seven, article six, chapter fifty-six of this code. A certified copy of the original transcript so filed shall be delivered to the requesting party. In all cases of appeal the reporter shall also make a copy of the transcript, which copy shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court in which the trial or proceedings were had, to be used, if necessary, in making up the record on appeal, and, if so used, the clerk may not be entitled to any fee for that part of the record. If, upon appeal or writ of error, the judgment, decree or order entered in the cause be reversed, the cost of the transcript shall be taxed as other costs; and if the transcript be requested or required for the purpose of demurring to the evidence, the cost thereof shall be taxed in favor of the party prevailing on the demurrer.

It shall also be the duty of the reporter in any criminal case, upon the request of the court or the judge thereof, and for his or her use, to furnish a transcript of his or her notes of the testimony and proceedings without extra charge.

§51-7-5. Salary in lieu of all other compensation.

If neither of the methods of compensation provided for in section three of this article be adopted, a salary may be allowed in lieu of all other compensation, which shall be paid at least twice per month, out of the State Treasury, in such proportions as the court or judge may fix in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court of Appeals. All fees for services rendered by the official reporter in the discharge of his or her duties as such, when he or she is allowed a salary under the provisions of this section, may be collected, and shall, when collected by the sheriff or official reporter, be paid into the State Treasury; and it shall be the duty of such reporter to make out, sign and deliver to the sheriff a fee bill in every case, civil or criminal, giving the style thereof and the amount due, and from whom, which amount may be collected or levied for by the sheriff, and such fee bill shall have the force and effect of an execution when levied. An official reporter compensated under the provisions of this section shall collect the fees mentioned in section four of this article for any transcript of his or her shorthand notes of the testimony or proceedings furnished by him or her to any party, and shall pay the same over to the sheriff of the county in which the services were performed, to be by him or her accounted for and paid into the State Treasury.

§51-7-6. Reporter's fee; how taxed, paid and accounted for.

The clerk of the court in which such reporter is employed shall tax as a part of the costs a reporter's fee of not less than $5, to be fixed by the court or judge, for each case in which such reporter was engaged. Such costs, when received by the clerk, shall be paid by him to the sheriff, who shall account for and pay such costs, in civil and misdemeanor cases, into the State Treasury.

§51-7-7. Transcripts to be furnished indigent persons under conviction upon timely request; payment therefor.

In any case wherein an indigent person has filed a notice of intent to seek an appeal or writ of error as specified in section four, article four, or section four, article five, chapter fifty-eight of this code, the court, or judge thereof in vacation, upon written request of such convicted person or his counsel, presented within sixty days after the entry of such judgment, shall, by order entered of record, authorize and direct the court reporter to furnish a transcript of the testimony and proceedings of the trial, or such part or parts thereof as such convicted person or his counsel shall have indicated in his request to be necessary, to the convicted person, without charge to him for use in seeking his appeal or writ of error, and the cost of such transcript whether the case be one of misdemeanor or felony, shall be certified by the judge of the court to the Auditor of the state and shall be paid out of the treasury of the state from the appropriation for criminal charges.

§51-7-8. Transcripts to be furnished indigent persons in juvenile delinquency and child abuse and neglect proceedings upon timely request; payment therefor.

In any proceeding held pursuant to §49-4-601 through §49-4-725 of this code in which an indigent respondent or his or her counsel has filed a written request, in the manner prescribed by the Supreme Court of Appeals, evidencing an intent to appeal a decision of a circuit court in the proceeding, the court, upon presentation of a written request, presented within 30 days after the entry of the order sought to be appealed, shall authorize and direct the court reporter to furnish a transcript of the testimony of the proceeding or the part or parts of the transcript that have specifically been requested.

The court, after being sufficiently satisfied of the reasonableness of a voucher or claim submitted for payment of the cost of preparing the transcript, shall certify the cost to the State Auditor, who shall, in a timely manner, pay the court reporter’s fee from appropriations to the Supreme Court of Appeals.