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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 65
BY SENATOR MORRISH
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 13:985.2, relative to the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District; to provide for the2
assessment of court costs to fund court reporter fees prepared for indigents; to3
authorize additional costs in criminal cases; to authorize an additional filing fee in4
civil cases; to create an indigent transcript fund for the payment of court reporter5
fees; to provide terms and conditions for such funds; to authorize the clerk of court6
to retain certain fees; to provide for rates of payment to court reporters; to provide7
for an annual audit; and to provide for related matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. R.S. 13:985.2 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 10
ยง985.2. Thirty-Eighth Judicial District; indigent transcript fund11
A.(1) The clerk of court for the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court12
shall establish an indigent transcript fund for the deposit of all monies that may13
be received under the provisions of this Section relative to the payment of court14
reporter fees for transcripts prepared for indigents, except as provided in this15
Subsection.16
(2) All funds received and deposited shall be used and paid out as17
follows:18
(a) To compensate court reporters for the preparation of all transcripts19
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arising from juvenile proceedings when the juvenile's parent or legal guardian1
or the adult over whom the court is exercising juvenile jurisdiction is found to2
be indigent in accordance with applicable provisions of the Louisiana Children's3
Code, including Articles 320 and 321.4
(b) To compensate court reporters for the preparation of all transcripts5
of testimony in civil proceedings filed or ruled as pauper actions in accordance6
with the applicable provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Articles 5181 et seq.7
(c) To compensate criminal court reporters for the preparation of all8
transcripts for indigent defendants, including trials, motions, felony guilty pleas,9
hearings on writs, and all court proceedings.10
(3) If funds are available at the end of the fiscal year, the clerk of court11
may retain up to two thousand dollars from the fund as compensation for12
administration of the fund.13
B. Court reporters shall be paid from the fund for transcription in all14
cases where the party is indigent or a pauper. The court reporters shall be paid15
up to three dollars and fifty cents per thirty-two line page and paid twenty-five16
cents per page for each copy, as funds become available, all such payments to17
be made from the fund by the clerk of court. The amount paid for each thirty-18
two line page shall be determined by the judge.19
C. In all criminal cases over which the court has original, appellate,20
supervisory, or concurrent jurisdiction, not to include traffic violations, there21
shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after trial or22
after a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or who forfeits his bond a sum not to23
exceed ten dollars, which shall be transmitted to the clerk of court for further24
disposition in accordance with this Section.25
D. In all civil cases, except actions filed in forma pauperis pursuant to26
the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Articles 5181 et seq., there shall be27
collected an additional filing fee not to exceed twenty dollars, which shall be28
transmitted to the clerk of court for further disposition in accordance with this29
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E. The clerk of court shall cause to be conducted annually an audit of1
the fund and the books and accounts relating thereto in accordance with the2
provisions of R.S. 24:513.3
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: