§981. Court reporter pools
A. There is hereby established a court reporter pool of thirty emergency court
reporters employed or approved by the supreme court from which said court reporters may
be assigned from time to time to any of the various district courts in the state as the need
arises in order that transcripts for criminal appeals and other necessary purposes may be
timely lodged in the appellate courts.
B. The court reporters provided for in this Section shall be in addition to all other
court reporters otherwise provided for in this Part. Each such court reporter shall have the
same qualifications, duties, and responsibilities as provided for in R.S. 13:961(C) and shall
be entitled to same fees paid in the same manner as provided for in R.S. 13:961(C). When
assigned to a district court, they shall perform their duties under the supervision and direction
of the trial judge to whom they are assigned.
C. The supreme court shall assign the court reporters in the pool on a geographical
basis, as far as practicable, and as determined from the reports of transcript delays submitted
by the various district courts to the supreme court.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an emergency court
reporter appointed pursuant to the authority of this Section shall prepare, certify, and charge
for a transcript in accordance with rules duly adopted by the supreme court for that purpose.
An emergency court reporter under this Section shall be considered to have the authority of
an official reporter for a district court in the same manner as if appointed by it.
E. The judicial administrator may, at his discretion, elect to secure court reporting
services from shorthand court reporting companies or independent shorthand court reporters
as needed to complete unfinished transcripts, rather than employing the full quota of court
reporters provided for in Subsection A of this Section.
Added by Acts 1980, No. 538, §1. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 885, §1; Acts 2026,
No. 291, §1, eff. May 22, 2026.