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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1575 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1168 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Joan B. Lovely |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond EssexPeter J. DurantWorcester and Hampshire2/13/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden2/25/2025David T. Vieira3rd Barnstable2/25/2025John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth3/3/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable3/4/2025Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk3/6/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1575 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1168 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1168) of Joan B. Lovely, Peter J. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Durant, Todd M. Smola, David T. Vieira and other members of the General Court for legislation |
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| 20 | 20 | | to set rates for transcripts of notes and fees taken at a trial or hearing by a transcriber. The |
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| 21 | 21 | | Judiciary. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 4835 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 Chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2amended by striking out section 88 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 Section 88. Upon request of the presiding justice or any party, the transcriber shall |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4furnish a transcript of their notes or audio recording, or any part thereof, taken at a trial or |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5hearing, for which they shall be paid by the party requesting it at the rate of $4.50 per page for |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6the original and $1.50 per page for each copy ordered. Copies, if so requested by an indigent |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7person or counsel for an indigent person, shall be paid at $.15 per page. In the event that a rush |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8transcript is ordered by the presiding justice or any party, the rate shall be $6.75 per page for the |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9original and $2.25 per page for each copy; and provided further, that copies, if so requested by an 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10indigent person or counsel for an indigent person, shall be paid at $.23 per page. If a transcript is |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11ordered by the presiding justice or, in a criminal case, by the district attorney, payment therefor |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12shall be made at the same rate by the administrative office of the trial court upon a voucher |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13approved by the presiding justice and, in a criminal case, the charges for transcripts furnished to |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14a justice and to the district attorney shall be taxed like other expenses. If the presiding justice |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15orders that a statement given to the police be transcribed, all parties shall receive a copy and |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16payment therefor shall be made at the same rate by the administrative office of the trial court |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17upon a voucher approved by the presiding justice. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 18 Beginning on the first day of July 2030, and on the first day of each fifth July thereafter, |
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| 50 | 50 | | 19the rates and fees set forth in section 88 shall be increased to reflect the cumulative annual |
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| 51 | 51 | | 20percentage change in the Consumer Price Index and published as the adjusted amounts as used in |
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| 52 | 52 | | 21this section. The (1) office of transcription services or (2) the presiding justice of the |
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| 53 | 53 | | 22administrative office of the trial court shall issue directives to implement the purposes of this |
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| 54 | 54 | | 23section. |
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