15-6-28(c). Disqualification to take deposition for interest. No deposition shall be taken before a person who is a relative or employee or attorney or counsel of any of the parties, or is a relative or employee of such attorney or counsel, or is financially interested in the action.

An employee, as described above, includes a person who has a contractual relationship with a person or entity interested in the outcome of the litigation, including anyone who may ultimately be responsible for payment to provide reporting or other court services, and a person who is employed part-time or full-time under contract or otherwise by a person who has a contractual relationship with a party to provide reporting or other court services.

The officer taking the deposition, or any other person with whom such officer has a principal and agency relationship, shall not enter into an agreement for reporting service which does any of the following:

(1) Requires or allows the court reporter reporting the deposition to relinquish control of an original deposition transcript and copies of the transcript before it is certified and delivered to the custodial attorney as required in § 15-6-30(f)(1);

(2) Requires the court reporter to provide special financial terms or other services that are not offered at the same time and on the same terms to all other parties in the litigation, or in any way offers any incentives or rewards to the attorneys, parties to the litigation, or to anyone else who has an interest in the litigation;

(3) Gives an exclusive monetary or other advantage to any party;

(4) Compromises the authenticity of the record or the impartiality of the court reporter, or that may result in the appearance that the authenticity of the record or the impartiality of the court reporter has been compromised;

(5) Allows a person, other than the court reporter or firm, to establish the rates charged by the court reporter or firm;

(6) Includes the court reporter, entity or firm providing or arranging for court reporting services on any list of preferred providers of court reporting services that is maintained by any person, entity or firm that has entered into an oral or written contractual agreement for more than one case with any attorney, party to an action, insurance company, third-party administrator, or any other person or entity that has a financial interest in the case;

(7) Requires the noticing attorney to utilize a specified court reporter, entity or firm, or requires the noticing attorney to act in a manner that may lead to violation of any provision; or

(8) Restricts said attorney from reimbursement for such court reporting services.

Contracts for court reporting services for federal, state, or local governments and subdivisions thereof are excluded. Negotiating or bidding reasonable fees, equal to all parties, by the attorneys or the parties, with the court reporter of their choice, on a case-by-case basis is not prohibited.

These provisions may not be waived by disclosure, agreement, stipulation, or by any other means unless a request for waiver is contained in the notice of deposition.

Any deposition taken in violation of these provisions shall be considered void.

Source: SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 36.0510; SD RCP, Rule 28 (c), as adopted by Sup. Ct. Order March 29, 1966, effective July 1, 1966; SL 2000, ch 256 (Supreme Court Rule 00-2); SL 2014, ch 262 (Supreme Court Rule 14-03), eff. July 1, 2014.