AB 2664: Court reporters: official reporter pro tempore.

Existing law authorizes the court to appoint an official reporter pro tempore when needed for the judicial business of the superior court of the county to be diligently carried on and so a particular matter may proceed to trial or hearing without delay. Existing law authorizes a pro tempore official reporter to be appointed by the presiding judge of the court or the judge presiding in the department where the reporter will serve.

This bill would instead authorize a pro tempore official reporter who is present in the courtroom providing that service to be appointed by the presiding judge of the court or the judge presiding in the department where the reporter will serve. The bill would also make conforming and technical changes and would revise obsolete provisions.

Existing law requires the Judicial Council to adopt rules to ensure, among other things, that if an official court reporter is not available, a party is authorized to arrange for the presence of a certified shorthand reporter to serve as an official pro tempore reporter and that the costs are recoverable as taxable costs by the prevailing party.

This bill would additionally require the Judicial Council to adopt rules to ensure that at the arranging partys request the court would be required to appoint the certified shorthand reporter to be present in the courtroom and serve as the official reporter pro tempore unless there is good cause shown for the court to refuse that appointment. The bill would also require that the fees and charges of the certified shorthand reporter be recoverable as taxable costs by the prevailing party.