Oklahoma Code § 20-106.4

Title 20. Courts: Duties of reporter - Methods – Unavailability of
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reporter - Transcripts.
A.  1.  The court reporter shall make a full reporting by means
of stenographic 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 parties to the action.  Nothing herein contained shall be
construed to authorize the certification of persons as certified
shorthand reporters who rely 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 proceedings, 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 present.  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 transcript 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
party, certify to the correctness of the transcript, and deliver the
same in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court.  The fee for
an original transcript shall be set by the Supreme Court.  Two
copies of the original transcript shall be furnished 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 shall 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 format for
all transcripts shall be prescribed by the Supreme Court.  The 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 direct 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
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 interfere 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.
Added by Laws 1968, c. 262, § 4, eff. Jan. 13, 1969.  Amended by
Laws 1970, c. 222, § 3, eff. April 13, 1970; Laws 1972, c. 130, § 2,
emerg. eff. April 7, 1972; Laws 1978, c. 228, § 2, eff. July 1,
1978; Laws 1980, c. 290, § 5, eff. Oct. 1, 1980; Laws 1989, c. 39, §
1, eff. Nov. 1, 1989; Laws 2002, c. 73, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws
2007, c. 84, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2007; Laws 2023, c. 100, § 1, eff.
Nov. 1, 2023.

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