Only the following persons may act and are eligible for appointment on a full-time or part-time basis as official court reporters for the courts, including the Workers' Compensation Court and the Corporation Commission:

a. Persons now certified or hereafter certified by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters shall be given primary consideration for appointment;

b. Persons who, prior to July 1, 1978, were licensed as licensed shorthand reporters by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters shall be given secondary consideration for appointment;

c. Persons who, prior to July 1, 1978, were acting shorthand reporters under a certificate issued by the Chief Justice;

d. When no person eligible for appointment as an official court reporter, as provided above, is available for appointment, a presiding judge or a district judge may make application to the Chief Justice to appoint a shorthand reporter on a temporary basis. The Chief Justice may issue a temporary certificate valid for not more than twelve (12) months, upon payment of a fee of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and a fee of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) for the certified shorthand reporter examination which will be deposited with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. The temporary certificate shall be nonrenewable, except in emergency situations as determined by the Chief Justice and for no longer than ninety (90) additional days. Absent good cause shown as determined by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, a temporary certificate holder shall sit for at least one Oklahoma certified shorthand reporter examination administered during the term of the temporary certificate. The holder shall be required to transcribe the examination, and the results of such transcription shall be reported to the holder’s supervisory judge;

e. The appointment of an official court reporter by a district or presiding judge shall be subject to the approval of the Chief Justice. Before giving his approval to the appointment, the Chief Justice shall determine, with the aid of the Administrative Director of the Courts, that the appointing judge has given proper consideration to the statutory preference accorded herein to certified and licensed reporters; and

f. A temporary court reporter, either while so serving or after the expiration of this appointment, shall be required to transcribe any testimony and other proceedings taken by him and to certify that the transcription is true and correct. A transcript certified by a temporary court reporter shall have the same effect as one certified by a regular court reporter.

Added by Laws 1980, c. 290, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 1980. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 299, § 8, operative July 1, 1986; Laws 1988, c. 62, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1988; Laws 1989, c. 204, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1989; Laws 2007, c. 84, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2007.