Court Reporters Act

705 ILCS 70/ Court Reporters Act Illinois Compiled Statutes Courts Court Reporters Act 705 ILCS 70/

(705 ILCS 70/)

(705 ILCS 70/1) Sec. 1. "Court reporter", for the purposes of this Act, means any person appointed by the chief judge of any circuit to perform the duties prescribed in Section 5 of this Act. (Source: Laws 1965, p. 2616.)

(705 ILCS 70/2) Sec. 2. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Court Reporters Act. (Source: Laws 1965, p. 2616.)

(705 ILCS 70/3) Sec. 3. Number - Determination and certification by supreme court. The number of full-time and part-time court reporters that may be appointed in each circuit shall be determined by the Supreme Court. In determining how many court reporters are needed in each circuit the Supreme Court shall consider the following factors: (1) case loads in the circuit; (2) the number of associate judges and circuit judges in the circuit; (3) the number and location in the circuit of major federal and state highways; (4) the location in the circuit of state police highway truck weighing stations; (5) the relationship of urban population to large metropolitan centers in the various counties of the circuit; (6) the location in the circuit of state institutions including, but not limited to, universities, colleges, mental health facilities, penitentiaries; (7) the number of cities and towns within each circuit in which regular court sessions are held and the distance in road miles between each; and (8) any other factor deemed relevant by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shall certify in writing to each chief judge the number of full-time and part-time court reporters the chief judge may appoint in his circuit and may, as the need arises, increase or lower the number of such court reporters so authorized. The Chief Judge of each circuit may designate any number of Supreme Court approved full-time court reporter positions as time share positions. For the purposes of this Act, "time share position" means a full-time court reporter position that is divided among 2 or more court reporters with the full-time salary and benefits being apportioned among the court reporters in the same percentage as the duties of the full-time position are apportioned. (Source: P.A. 86-827.)

(705 ILCS 70/4) Sec. 4. The chief judge may appoint all or any of the number of court reporters authorized by certification of the Supreme Court. The court reporters so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the chief judge and may be removed by the chief judge. Each court reporter appointed shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take the official oath to faithfully discharge the duties of his office to the best of his knowledge and ability. The appointments shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Supreme Court and shall continue in force until revoked by the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed. (Source: P.A. 84-1395.)

(705 ILCS 70/4.1) Sec. 4.1. Appointment and Salary of Administrative Personnel. (a) The Supreme Court may authorize the chief judge of any single county circuit in which official court reporting services are centrally administered, (1) to appoint from among the court reporters appointed in the circuit an Administrator of Court Reporters, a Deputy Administrator of Court Reporters and 2 Assistant Administrators of Court

Reporters, (2) to designate from among the court reporters appointed in the circuit one Reporter Supervisor and one Assistant Reporter Supervisor for each Department and Division of the circuit court, and (3) to appoint secretarial and other support staff to assist the Administrator. Each Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Assistant Administrator, Reporter Supervisor, and Assistant Reporter Supervisor shall have an "A" proficiency rating, by examination, as provided in Section 7. (b) Administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid by the State. (1) In addition to their regular salary as official court reporters, the administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid such additional sums as the Supreme Court specifies. Such sums shall be included in the pay schedule adopted pursuant to Section 8. The additional amounts paid shall reflect the burden of administrative responsibility borne by the administrative personnel and the consequent lack of opportunity to produce transcripts of testimony. The additional amounts paid to such personnel shall not exceed the following: (A) Administrator of Court Reporters: $20,000 per year; (B) Deputy Administrator of Court Reporters: $15,000 per year; (C) Assistant Administrators of Court Reporters: $13,000 per year; (D) Reporter Supervisors: $10,000 per year. (E) Assistant Reporter Supervisors: $5,000 per year. (2) Each of the secretarial and other support staff authorized under this Section shall be paid a salary as determined per year by the Supreme Court. (Source: P.A. 86-1378.)

(705 ILCS 70/5) Sec. 5. Means of reporting - Transcripts. The court reporter shall make a full reporting by means of stenographic hand or machine notes, or a combination thereof, of the evidence and such other proceedings in trials and judicial proceedings to which he is assigned by the chief judge, and the court reporter may use an electronic instrument as a supplementary device. In the event that the court utilizes an audio or video recording system to record the proceedings, a court reporter shall be in charge of such system; however, the appointment of a court reporter to be in charge of an audio or video recording system shall not be required where such system is the judge's personal property or has been supplied by a party or such party's attorney. To the extent that it does not substantially interfere with the court reporter's other official duties, the judge to whom, or a judge of the division to which, a reporter is assigned may assign a reporter to secretarial or clerical duties arising out of official court operations. Unless and until otherwise provided in a Uniform Schedule of Charges which may hereafter be provided by rule or order of the Supreme Court, a court reporter may charge not to exceed 25¢ per 100 words for making transcripts of his notes. The fees for making transcripts shall be paid in the first instance by the party in whose behalf such transcript is ordered and shall be taxed in the suit. The transcripts shall be filed and remain with the papers of the case. When the judge trying the case shall, of his own motion, order a transcript of the court reporter's notes, the judge may direct the payment of the charges therefor, and the taxation of the charges as costs in such manner as to him may seem just. Provided, that the charges for making but one transcript shall be taxed as costs and the party first ordering the transcript shall have preference unless it shall be otherwise ordered by the court. The change made to this Section by this amendatory Act of 1987 is intended to apply retroactively from and after January 1, 1987. (Source: P.A. 85-981.)

(705 ILCS 70/6) Sec. 6. Assignment to serve outside of county of appointment-Travel expenses. The chief judge may assign a court reporter to serve anywhere within the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed. A court reporter shall be paid travel

expenses incurred in connection with his official duties in his circuit of appointment outside the county wherein he resides. Subject to regulations which may be adopted by the Supreme Court, court reporters shall be allowed travel expenses when traveling within their county of residence in connection with their official duties. The Supreme Court may assign a court reporter to temporary service outside his own circuit with the consent of the chief judge of his circuit. A court reporter shall be paid travel expenses incurred in connection with his official duties during such periods of temporary assignment. Expense vouchers shall be submitted to the Supreme Court for approval. The expense vouchers or claims submitted to the Supreme Court shall have endorsed thereon the signed approval of the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter incurred the expense for which claim is made. (Source: P.A. 77-1685.)

(705 ILCS 70/7) Sec. 7. Proficiency tests. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each court reporter in office on January 1, 1966 or appointed on or after that date shall have taken or shall thereafter take a test to rate his proficiency. The test shall be prepared and administered by the Supreme Court. The test shall consist of three parts designated Part A, Part B and Part C. If the court reporter in office on January 1, 1966, or appointed on or after that date, successfully passes any Part he shall be given a certificate designating him as an official court reporter. If such court reporter fails to pass any part, the Supreme Court shall so inform the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter serves. Upon receipt of note that a court reporter has failed to pass any part of the test, the chief judge may discharge the court reporter or may allow him to continue until the test is next administered. If, when the test is next administered, the court reporter fails to pass any part of the test, he shall be discharged by the chief judge. The test shall be administered at least every six months if there are candidates or applicants for the test. Any court reporter who has passed Part C of the test may apply to take the Part B or the Part A section of the test at the regular time such tests are given. If the court reporter successfully completes Part B or Part A of the test, his proficiency rating shall be adjusted to reflect passage of the more difficult Part. Any court reporter who served as a court reporter in a circuit court for 5 years immediately preceding January 1, 1966 shall be certified as an official court reporter without examination, and shall be credited with an "A" proficiency rating, without examination. (Source: P.A. 84-1395.)

(705 ILCS 70/8) Sec. 8. Salaries. (a) The salaries of all court reporters shall be paid by the State. Full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $29,500 per year through June 30, 1984. Beginning July 1, 1984, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $31,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1985, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $33,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1986, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $35,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1987, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $37,250 annually. Part-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $12 nor more than $60 per half-day. The salary of each individual court reporter shall be computed from a schedule adopted by the Supreme Court. The salary schedule shall reflect the following relevant factors: (1) proficiency rating; (2) experience; (3) population of the area to which a reporter is normally assigned; (3-1) court reporters shall receive the same annual percentage salary increase as provided to other State-paid non-judicial employees of the Judicial Branch with equivalent salaries, except that notwithstanding any other provision of law,

salaries of full time court reporters shall be increased by at least a percentage increase equivalent to that of the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, by Occupation and Industry Groups, State and Local Government Workers Public Administration", as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be added to the then current annual salary and the adjusted salary so determined shall be the annual salary beginning July 1 of the increase year until July 1 of the next year; (4) other factors considered relevant by the Director. (b) Not less than 60 days before the effective date of this Act, the chief judge of each circuit shall submit to the Supreme Court, on forms to be provided by the Supreme Court, such information as may be necessary to implement the Provisions of this Act. (c) A court reporter who has previously passed, or who hereafter passes, Part A or Part B of a proficiency test prepared and administered by the Supreme Court shall be credited with an "A" or "B" proficiency rating, as appropriate. (d) A court reporter who has been credited with an "A" proficiency rating, without examination, as provided in Section 7 of this Act, shall receive a salary of $10,000 per annum. Any increase in the maximum salary payable to reporters shall not result in any increase for such reporter unless and until he has passed the proficiency test. (e) The salaries of all official court reporters employed by the State shall be paid monthly on the voucher of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may require all salary claims by part-time reporters to be substantiated by certificates signed by the reporter and approved by the chief judge of the circuit. (f) The salaries of time share court reporter positions may be apportioned in the manner provided in Section 3 of this Act. (Source: P.A. 88-475.)

(705 ILCS 70/9) Sec. 9. The following acts are repealed: "An Act to authorize the judges of Circuit, Superior, City and Town courts to appoint shorthand reporters and to provide for their duties and compensation", filed July 20, 1927, as amended; "An Act to provide for the payment of travel expenses of official shorthand reporters of Circuit courts", approved July 15, 1953, as amended; "An Act to authorize the judge of the Probate Court in any county of more than 70,000 and less than 500,000 inhabitants to appoint a shorthand reporter for the taking and preservation of evidence, and fixing the compensation to be paid therefor", approved June 28, 1919, as amended; "An Act authorizing chief circuit judges to appoint reporters for the taking and preservation of evidence and to provide for the compensation of such reporters", approved May 14, 1903, as amended. (Source: Laws 1965, p. 2616.)