§980. Court reporters for the Thirty-Fourth Judicial District

            A. Each judge of the Thirty-Fourth Judicial District Court may appoint a court reporter for his division, which reporter shall hold office until it is declared vacated by the judge making such appointment.

            B. Each court reporter shall take an oath of office and furnish bond for the faithful performance of his duties. The bond shall be in the sum of one thousand dollars and shall be in favor of the judges of the Thirty-Fourth Judicial District Court for the purpose of protecting litigants against any acts of incompetency or neglect of duty by the court reporter. The bond shall be recorded and filed in the clerk's office in each of the parishes of the district. Any party litigant may sue on the bond for any damages sustained through any wrongful act or neglect of duty by the court reporter in the performance of his duties.

            C. The court reporters shall attend the civil, criminal, and juvenile sessions of the district court and shall be subject to the orders of the judges of the court. They shall take down the testimony, objections, and rulings thereon, and bills offered in all civil cases, the bills of exception reserved in all criminal felony cases, and all other matters which may be directed by a judge of the court.

            D.(1) In all cases on appeal, the reporter shall be paid a fee not to exceed three dollars for each original page transcribed and where a copy is requested by a litigant, shall furnish such copy and be paid a fee of one dollar and fifty cents for each page thereof. At the request of any of the party proceedings, or at the order of a district judge, the court reporter shall transcribe all or part of the testimony or other matter taken down and shall furnish as many copies thereof as may be required by law for an appeal. For matters not on appeal, a litigant requesting a transcript of testimony or other matter transcribed shall enter into a private civil contract with the court reporter for the payment of fees applicable to those contracts. Such fees shall be in accordance with fees customarily charged in the judicial district for depositions. The reporter, except when ordered by the judge, shall not be required to file or furnish any transcribed testimony until the transcription fee is paid. If those parties, or the judge, direct the original transcription, each party shall pay the expense of transcribing the testimony offered by him. No fee shall be allowed for transcribing matter other than testimony, objections and rulings thereon, bills, notes of evidence, and such other matters as may be ordered by the judge. All such fees shall be paid directly to the court reporter performing the service as additional compensation and shall be taxed as costs.

            (2) In case the original transcription of the court reporter's notes shall be requested by a litigant, after judgment and for the purpose of an appeal, the whole cost of transcription shall be paid primarily by the requesting party, but ultimately shall be taxed as costs.

            (3) If any party refuses or fails to pay his share of the costs of transcription within a reasonable time, to be fixed by the court, the case shall be decided as if the testimony of that party had not been offered.

            E. The court reporter shall preserve his notes in each case for a period of two years from the date of submission thereof.

            F. The governing authority of the parish comprising the Thirty-Fourth Judicial District shall furnish and provide the court reporters with an office or a suitable place of accommodations equipped with the necessary office furniture including typewriters, telephones, necessary desks and chairs, supply cabinets and files, stenograph machines and paper therefor, dictating equipment and typing paper necessary for the taking and transcribing of testimony. Each court reporter shall be responsible for all other supplies and equipment, all traveling expenses, and other expenses incurred in the discharge of his duties.

            G. In the event of appeal or if the judge orders the transcription of a case filed in forma pauperis, the court reporter shall be paid by the governing authority at the regular page rate, out of the Judicial Court Reporter's Fund or the parish general fund.

            H. The court reporter may appoint as many deputy reporters to assist him in the work of the office consistent with the work to be done and the reporter making the appointment shall be responsible for the work of his deputies under his oath of office and bond. Each of the said reporters shall have the power to administer oaths in all matters pertaining to depositions taken outside the court to be used in the Thirty-Fourth 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 notaries public.

            I. The clerk of court of the Thirty-Fourth Judicial District shall collect from the litigant filing a suit the following amounts, which shall be paid over by him to the governing authority of the parish in which the suit is filed to be deposited into a separate account designated as the Judicial Court Reporter's Fund:

            (1) In suits for divorce or separation of property, receivership proceedings, concursus proceedings, money demands of one thousand dollars or more, money demands irrespective of amount involved when accompanied by a writ of attachment, injunction, or sequestration--twenty dollars in each suit.

            (2) In suits for partition, interdiction, mandamus, collection of taxes, annulment of lease, possession of leased premises, provisional seizure, petitory action, specific performance, habeas corpus proceedings, succession proceedings where the amount involved or funds to be distributed exceeds five hundred dollars other than judgments of possession, and money demands involving more than two hundred dollars and less than one thousand dollars, except confessions of judgment--fifteen dollars in each suit.

            (3) Money demands of less than two hundred dollars except confessions of judgment, and in all other cases not enumerated herein--ten dollars in each suit.

            J. Each of the court reporters provided for in Subsection A shall receive a monthly salary to be fixed and determined by the judges of the district court. The salaries shall be paid out of the Judicial Court Reporter's Fund of the parish comprising the district. The governing authority shall maintain the Judicial Court Reporter's Fund in a separate account and shall pay therefrom, upon approval of the district judges, the salaries, fees, and expenses of the court reporters as herein provided for.

            Added by Acts 1980, No. 443, §1. Acts 1980, No. 573, §1; Acts 1981, No. 480, §1; Acts 2006, No. 576, §1; Acts 2016, No. 549, §1.