§970. Court reporter for Twenty-sixth Judicial District for Webster Parish

A. As used herein, "judge" means the district judge of the twenty-sixth judicial district who resides in Webster Parish. In the event that more than one judge of the twenty-sixth judicial district resides in Webster Parish, the word "judge" shall mean the most senior of the judges of the twenty-sixth judicial district residing in Webster Parish.

B. The judge may appoint a court reporter for Webster Parish, which reporter shall hold office for the current term of the judge making the appointment, or until resignation or until the office is declared vacant by the judge.

C. The court reporter shall be a person of good moral character whose knowledge of court procedure and general qualifications of competency have been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the judge making the appointment.

D. The court reporter shall furnish a bond in the amount of one thousand dollars to protect litigants against any acts of incompetency on the part of the reporter. The written appointment, the oath of office, and the bond shall be recorded in the office of the clerk of the district court for Webster Parish.

E. Subject to the approval of the judge and the police jury, the court reporter may appoint as many deputy reporters as necessary to assist him with the work of his office consistent with the work to be done, and the reporter shall be responsible for the work of the deputies under his oath of office and bond.

F. The duties of the court reporter shall be to report in shorthand, tape recording, stenotype, or in any recognized manner, and transcribe into typing or printing at the request of any of the parties to any proceeding, or at the request of the judge, all the testimony taken in all appealable civil cases tried in the district, and to furnish, for the purpose of appeal the necessary copies of the testimony required by the law. In criminal cases the court reporters shall take down the proceedings as required by law and by the court and shall transcribe the proceedings as directed by the court and shall furnish the necessary copies needed for the purpose of appellate review.

G. The court reporter shall be subject to the orders of the judge presiding in the Webster Parish division of the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District and shall attend civil and criminal sessions of the district court as the presiding judge may direct from time to time.

H. The reporter and any deputy reporters shall have the power to administer oaths in all matters pertaining to depositions taken outside of court to be used in the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court or in other courts. Certificates issued by the said reporter and filed by him within the scope of his authority shall be received in the courts of this state as are the certificates of the notaries public.

I. As compensation, the court reporter and deputy reporters shall be paid by the Webster Parish Police Jury from the fund hereafter created, such annual compensation, payable monthly, as may be fixed by the judge with the approval of the Webster Parish Police Jury.

J. The Webster Parish Police Jury shall furnish all supplies and equipment, such as typewriter, shorthand pads, adding machines, paper, carbon paper, stenograph machines, and all other supplies and equipment necessary for the taking and transcribing of said testimony. In addition, the court reporter shall be reimbursed by the Webster Parish Police Jury for all traveling expenses and other expenses incurred in the discharge of his or her duties. The Webster Parish Police Jury shall provide the court reporter with an office or suitable place of accommodation equipped with the necessary office furniture.

K. The clerk of court of the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Webster shall, in addition to the filing fees authorized by law, collect from any person filing any type of suit or proceeding, intervention, or third party demand, the following amounts, which shall be maintained by him in a special account designated as the clerk of court's reporter's fund:

(1) In each suit in which the demand is for five thousand dollars or more the fee shall be fifteen dollars.

(2) In each suit for divorce, partition, injunction, separation of property, child custody, receivership proceedings, concursus proceedings, money demands of one thousand dollars or more and less than five thousand dollars, and money demands irrespective of amount involved when accompanied by a conservatory writ the fee shall be ten dollars.

(3) Money demands of more than five hundred dollars and less than one thousand dollars, probate proceedings, adoptions, tutorships and interdictions the fee shall be five dollars for each suit.

(4) Money demands of five hundred dollars or less, and in all other cases not enumerated herein the fee shall be three dollars.

(5) No deposit shall be required in forma pauperis cases, but the clerk of court may test by rule the plaintiff's right to the benefits of Articles 5181 through 5188 of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure and of R.S. 13:4529.

(6) The clerk of the district court shall deduct ten percent of all sums collected hereunder as compensation for his services at the end of each month and remit the remainder thereof to the Webster Parish Police Jury for deposit into the court reporter's fund with full accounting of all receipts for the period covered by such remittance.

(7) The amount to be collected by the clerk of the district court for the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District for the parish of Webster in addition to the filing fees authorized by law may be increased or decreased by the senior judge upon the approval of the Webster Parish Police Jury and the Webster Parish Bar Association.

L. Additionally, in civil and criminal cases the Webster Parish Police Jury shall be paid two dollars and fifty cents per thirty-one-line legal size page and fifty cents per page for copies for all testimony transcribed by the court reporters. In civil appeals cases, the two dollar and fifty cent per page transcription charge applies for transcriptions in excess of three hundred fifty pages. This charge shall be taxable as court costs and shall be advanced to the court reporter assigned to the case for delivery to the Webster Parish Police Jury for deposit in the clerk of court reporter's fund.

M. Monies in the criminal court fund, indigent defender's fund, or funds otherwise available for such purposes under the law, shall be paid into the clerk of court reporter's fund as directed by the court. The Webster Parish Police Jury shall deposit such additional funds in the clerk of court reporter's fund as are needed to pay the costs and charges herein provided.

Acts 1960, No. 376, §§1 to 14; Acts 1968, No. 227, §1; Acts 1971, No. 60, §1; Acts 1977, No. 144, §1, eff. June 29, 1977; Acts 1978, No. 286, §1, eff. July 5, 1978; Acts 1990, No. 361, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 2001, No. 969, §1.