SECTIONS 69995-69999 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 69995-69999

69995. (a) In Ventura County, a majority of the judges of the
superior court may appoint as many competent official phonographic
reporters as the business of the superior court requires, and as
required to provide court reporting service to the municipal court of
the county as provided in subdivision (c). The court may
additionally employ as many pro tempore phonographic reporters as may
from time to time be required to supplement the services of the
official court reporters. The court may further appoint one of the
official court reporters to serve as senior superior court reporter
to coordinate and supervise the activities of official and pro
tempore court reporters.
Official reporters of the superior court shall be exempt from the
provisions of any civil service system as employees of the court.
They shall serve at the pleasure of a majority of the judges thereof,
subject to such court rules and policy as may be adopted by the
judges for regulation of superior court personnel. Official and pro
tempore superior court reporters shall provide court reporting
services for such departments of the superior court and divisions of
the municipal court, for such criminal, juvenile and civil
proceedings, and proceedings before the grand jury, as directed by
the presiding judges of the respective courts, subject to the
provisions of this section.
(b) The salary paid to official full-time superior court reporters
for services in reporting any and all testimony and proceedings in
the superior and municipal courts and before the grand jury, shall be
a five-step salary range with biweekly amounts equivalent to ninety
percent (90%) of the corresponding steps in the established salary
range for official superior court reporters in Los Angeles County.
The initial hiring rate for official superior court reporters shall
be the first step of the salary range, and subsequent increases
within the range shall be at intervals of six months from the first
to second step, and one year between each succeeding step, as
determined by the court, based on satisfactory performance. Nothing
herein shall prohibit the initial appointment or subsequent elevation
of a reporter's salary from the steps herein specified, as may be
determined by the court on the basis of experience, qualifications
and meritorious performance. The salary of the official court
reporter who is appointed to serve as senior superior court reporter,
shall be fixed at ten percent (10%) above the biweekly salary steps
specified for official superior court reporters.
The salary range of official court reporters may be adjusted by
joint action and approval of the board of supervisors and a majority
of the judges of the superior court. Such changes in compensation
made pursuant to this provision shall be on an interim basis and
shall expire January 1 following adjournment of the next regular
session of the Legislature unless ratified at such session.
The per diem compensation for pro tempore reporters serving the
superior or municipal court or the grand jury shall be established at
one-tenth ( 1/10) of the top step in the biweekly salary range
established for official superior court reporters, for each day of
service or any portion thereof.
Official reporters of the superior court shall be entitled to all
benefits provided for the employees of the county, including, but not
limited to, participation in county retirement plans, vacation,
holiday and sick leave benefits, and insurance plans. These benefits
shall also include the same lump-sum payments for benefit accrual
balances upon separation from service, as are made to employees of
the county. All other compensation, fees, and benefits for official
and pro tempore superior court reporters shall be as elsewhere
provided by law.
(c) Upon request of the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court of
Ventura County, official and pro tempore reporters of the superior
court shall act as pro tempore reporters in the municipal court in
all proceedings of the municipal court where their services may be
required. Official superior court reporters who are assigned to serve
as pro tempore municipal court reporters under this provision, shall
receive no additional compensation for such services, and pro
tempore superior court reporters who are assigned to serve as pro
tempore municipal court reporters shall not receive compensation in
excess of one per diem fee for service in either or both of such
courts on any single court day. Requests to provide the municipal
court with the services of superior court reporters shall be directed
to either the presiding judge or the executive officer of the
superior court by either the presiding judge or the executive officer
of the municipal court, and shall be effective only during the
pleasure of the judges of both courts, a majority of the judges of
each court concurring.

69998. No further fee than that prescribed in this article shall be
collected from, or assessed against, any party to any proceeding for
the services of a phonographic reporter in taking down in shorthand
the testimony and other proceedings in the trial or hearing of any
matter as required by law or by order of the court, but a
phonographic reporter shall be allowed and unless waived by him shall
receive the fees allowed for transcribing his shorthand notes of the
testimony and proceedings reported by him, as elsewhere provided by
law.

69999. Any fee required by this article shall be taxed as costs in
favor of any party paying it and to whom costs are awarded by the
judgment of the court. Such fee shall not be subject to the
provisions of Section 6103 of this code. Such fee shall not be
required of any party who is exempted from the payment of costs by
any statute other than Section 6103 of this code.
On or before the first day of each calendar month, the county
clerk shall transmit to the county treasurer all money paid to him
pursuant to this article during the preceding calendar month, or up
to the day immediately preceding that on which he transmits the
money. The money shall be deposited in the general fund of the
county.