§971. Sixteenth and Twenty-Seventh Judicial Districts; additional court reporters; fees charged by court reporters; indigent transcript fund

            A. In addition to the court reporters appointed under the provisions of R.S. 13:961(A), the judges of the Sixteenth Judicial District may appoint one additional court reporter, and each of the judges of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District may appoint one additional court reporter. Each court reporter shall be assigned by the judges of his respective district to assist the other court reporters in their duties.

            B.(1)(a) In the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District, in all civil cases a fee of three dollars and fifty cents per page for the original and fifty cents per page for copies reported and transcribed shall be charged by and paid to the court reporter who reports and transcribes the testimony and shall be retained by him as compensation in addition to the salary as provided herein.

            (b) In all civil cases which are reported but not transcribed, one-half of the fees provided in this Subsection for originals shall be charged by and be paid to the reporter.

            (c) In every civil appealable case set for trial, the court reporter may demand and secure from the plaintiff, before the trial of the case begins, a bond to guarantee the payment of the fees to the reporter, except where said plaintiff is exempt by existing law from paying costs in advance or as they accrue. No bond shall be required in in forma pauperis cases, but the court reporter may test by rule the plaintiff's right to the benefits of Articles 5181 through 5188 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

            (2) In all criminal cases, except those involving indigent defendants, a fee of three dollars and fifty cents per page for the original, and fifty cents for each copy thereafter reported and transcribed shall be paid to the court reporter who reports and transcribes the testimony and shall be retained by him as compensation in addition to the salary as provided herein. The payment of fees in criminal cases involving indigent defendants shall be governed by the provisions of R.S. 13:4529.

            (3) The fees provided by this Subsection, to the extent herein provided, shall be retained by the reporter as compensation in addition to the salary provided for herein.

            (4) The court of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court shall establish an indigent transcript fund for the deposit of all monies that may be received under the provisions of this Subsection relative to the payment of court reporter fees for transcripts prepared for indigents, except as provided in this Subsection.

            (5) All funds received and deposited therein shall be used and paid out:

            (a) To compensate criminal court reporters for the preparation of all transcripts for indigent defendants, including trials, motions, hearings on writs, and all court proceedings.

            (b) To compensate juvenile court reporters for the preparation of all transcripts arising from juvenile proceedings when the juvenile's parent or legal custodian or the adult, over whom the court is exercising juvenile jurisdiction, is found to be indigent in accordance with Children's Code Articles 320 and 321.

            (6) If funds are available at the end of the fiscal year, the court may retain three thousand dollars from the fund as compensation for administration of the fund.

            (7) Court reporters shall be paid three dollars and fifty cents per thirty-one-line page for such work, and twenty-five cents per page for each copy, as funds become available, all such payments to be made from the criminal indigent transcript fund by the court.

            (8)(a) In all criminal cases over which the court has original, appellate, supervisory, or concurrent jurisdiction, including traffic violations, except parking, there shall be assessed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or who forfeits his bond, the sum of five dollars, which shall be transmitted to the court for further disposition in accordance herewith.

            (b) In all civil cases over which the court has original, appellate, supervisory, or concurrent jurisdiction, there shall be collected the sum of three dollars for every civil filing, which shall be transmitted to the court for further disposition in accordance herewith.

            (9) The court shall cause to be conducted annually an audit of the fund and the books and accounts relating thereto in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 24:513. The cost of the audit shall be paid from monies in the fund.

            C.(1)(a) In the Sixteenth Judicial District, in all civil cases a fee of two dollars and fifty cents per page for the original and fifty cents per page each for the first and second copies for cases reported and transcribed shall be charged by and paid to the court reporter who reports and transcribes the testimony and shall be retained by him as compensation in addition to the salary as provided herein.

            (b) In all civil cases which are reported but not transcribed, one-half of the fees provided in this Subsection for originals shall be charged by and be paid to the reporter.

            (c) In every civil appealable case set for trial, the court reporter may demand and secure from the plaintiff, before the trial of the case begins, a bond to guarantee the payment of the fees to the reporter, except where said plaintiff is exempt by existing law from paying costs in advance or as they accrue. No bond shall be required in in forma pauperis cases, but the court reporter may test by rule the plaintiff's right to the benefits of Articles 5181 through 5188 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

            (2) In all criminal cases, except those involving indigent defendants, a fee of two dollars and fifty cents per page for the original and fifty cents per page each for the first and second copies reported and transcribed shall be paid to the court reporter who reports and transcribes the testimony and shall be retained by him as compensation in addition to the salary as provided herein. The payment of fees in criminal cases involving indigent defendants shall be governed by the provisions of R.S. 13:4529.

            (3) The fees provided by this Subsection, to the extent herein provided, shall be retained by the reporter as compensation in addition to the salary provided for herein.

            Added by Acts 1968, No. 570, §1. Amended by Acts 1969, No. 105, §1; Acts 1970, No. 75, §1; Acts 1977, No. 227, §1; Acts 1977, No. 307, §1; Acts 1978, No. 529, §1; Acts 1983, No. 249, §1; Acts 1983, No. 45, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1128, §1; Acts 1999, No. 451, §1; Acts 1999, No. 846, §2; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 78, §1; Acts 2015, No. 194, §1; Acts 2017, No. 129, §1.

            NOTE: See Acts 2017, No. 129, §1, regarding contingency eff. date.