§ 16-13-509 - Substitute court reporters.

16-13-509. Substitute court reporters.

(a) (1) In the absence or unavailability of the official court reporter, the circuit judge or judge on assignment as authorized by 16-10-101 is authorized to temporarily employ the services of a substitute court reporter if the temporary employment is necessary and essential to prevent a disruption of the business of the court.

(2) The substitute court reporter shall be a reporter duly certified by the Arkansas Supreme Court Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners.

(b) (1) Whenever a circuit judge or judge on assignment temporarily employs a substitute court reporter, the judge may certify to the Auditor of State, upon forms prepared by the Auditor of State, that he or she has temporarily employed the services of a substitute court reporter and that the temporary employment was necessary and essential to prevent a disruption of the business of his or her court.

(2) The judge shall further furnish to the Auditor of State the name, address, and social security number of the substitute court reporter and the number of days the substitute court reporter was temporarily employed, plus any other information concerning the employment requested by the Auditor of State.

(c) (1) The Auditor of State is authorized to pay the substitute court reporter for the court reporting services furnished to the circuit judge from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose.

(2) The substitute court reporter will be paid at the rate of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175) per day.

(d) If any trial court administrative assistant employed pursuant to 16-10-133 and also certified pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is authorized and appointed to act temporarily as a substitute court reporter, he or she shall not be entitled to be paid an additional salary, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred for meals, lodging, and transportation costs when attending court away from his or her official station, consistent with 16-13-505.

(e) In any one (1) fiscal year, however, the Auditor of State will not pay for the services of a substitute court reporter or substitute court reporters for any one (1) circuit judge or judge on assignment in excess of twenty (20) working days, unless approved and ordered by the Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

(f) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to preclude or prohibit any circuit judge from obtaining payment for the services of a substitute court reporter from the county or counties comprising the judge's judicial district rather than from the Auditor of State.