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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
SENATE BILL 230 By: Jett
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to court reporters; amending 20 O.S.
2021, Section 106.4, as amended by Section 1, Chapter
100, O.S.L. 2023 (20 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 106.4),
which relates to transcripts; updating statutory
language; eliminating charge for certain transcripts;
and providing an effective date .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 106.4, as
amended by Section 1, Chapter 100, O.S.L. 2023 (20 O.S. Supp. 2024,
Section 106.4), is amended to read as follows:
Section 106.4. A. 1. The court reporter shall make a full
reporting by means of stenograph ic hand, steno-mask or machine
notes, or a combination thereof, of all proceedings, including the
statements of counsel and the court and the evidence, in trials and
other judicial proceedings to which the court reporter is assigned
by the appointing judge unless excused by the judge who is trying
the case with the consent of the pa rties to the action. Nothing
herein contained in this section shall be construed to authorize the
certification of persons as certified shorthand reporters who rely
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exclusively upon the steno-mask for reporting judicial proceedings,
except as provided by law. A refusal of the court to permit or to
require any statement to be taken down by the court reporter or
transcribed after being taken down, upon the same being shown by
affidavit or other direct and competent evidence, to the Supreme
Court, or other appellate court, shall constitute a denial of due
process of law. The court reporter may use an electronic instrument
as a supplementary device.
2. In any trial, hearing or proc eedings, if no court reporter
is available to the assigned judge:
a. the judge before whom the matter is being heard may
order the proceedings electronically recorded and a
trial or proceedings may proceed without the necessity
of a court reporter being pr esent. Provided that if
an official transcript is ordered then it shall be
prepared by the official court reporter, or
b. with approval of the judge, the parties may stipulate
to the use of a freelance reporter and share the cost.
If ordered, the transcr ipt shall be prepared by the
approved reporter and shall be considered the official
transcript for all purposes.
B. Upon request of either party in a civil or criminal case,
the reporter shall transcribe the proceedings in a trial or other
judicial proceeding, or so much thereof as may be requested by the
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party, certify to the corr ectness of the transcript, and deliver the
same in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court. The fee for
A certified copy of an original transcript shall be set by the
Supreme Court. Two copies of the original transcript shall be
furnished by the court to all parties without additional charge.
Each page shall be at least twenty -five lines to the page and typed
no fewer than nine characters to the typed inch. Each page sh all be
no more than double spaced and the margin on the left side of the
page shall be no more than one and one -half (1 1/2) inches and the
margin on the right side of the page shall be no more than one -half
(1/2) inch from the edge of the paper. The form at for all
transcripts shall be prescribed by the Supreme Court. The court
reporter fees for making the transcript shall be paid in the first
instance by the party requesting the transcript and shall be taxed
as costs in the suit.
When the judge on his or her own motion orders a transcript of
the reporter’s notes, the judge may dir ect the payment of charges
and the taxation of the charges as costs in such manner as the court
deems appropriate. In a criminal action, if the defendant shall
present to the judge an affidavit that the defendant intends in good
faith to take an appeal in the case and that a transcript of the
reporter’s notes is necessary to enable the defendant to prosecute
the appeal, and that he or she has not the means to pay for the
transcript, the court, upon finding that there is reasonable basis
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for the averment, shall order the transcript made at the expense of
the district court fund. The format preparation, delivery and
filing of transcripts to be used in civil and criminal appeals may
be regulated by the Supreme Court.
C. The court reporter shall file his or her records of the
evidence and the proceedings taken in any case with the clerk of the
court in which the case was tried.
D. To the extent that it does not substantially interfe re with
the court reporter’s other official duties, the judge by whom a
reporter is employed or to whom he or she is assigned may assign a
reporter to secretarial or clerical duties arising out of official
court operations.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
60-1-1550 TEK 12/30/2024 5:02:22 PM