Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Approving Local Rules: order-local-rules-2025-25S-MS-196b

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

In the Matter of the Approval of Local

Rules for Hamilton County

Supreme Court Case No.

25S-MS-196

Order Approving Amended Local Rules

The Judges of the Hamilton Circuit and Superior Courts request the approval of amended

local rules for caseload allocation in accordance with Administrative Rule 1(E) and for court

reporter services in accordance with Administrative Rule 15. Attached to this Order are the

proposed amended local rules.

Upon examination of the proposed rule amendments requested by the Hamilton Circuit

and Superior Courts, this Court finds that the proposed amendments to LR29-AR00-109

comply with the requirements of Administrative Rule 1(E) and the amendments to LR29-AR15-

108 comply with Administrative Rule 15, and, accordingly, should be approved.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED by this Court that amended Local Rules, LR29-AR00-

109 and LR29-AR15-108, for the Hamilton Circuit and Superior Courts, set forth as

attachments to this Order, are approved effective on the date of this Order.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ___________ .

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

9/23/2025

LR29-AR00-109. ASSIGNMENT OF INFRACTION (IF) AND ORDINANCE

VIOLATION (OV) CASE NUMBERS

109.10 The Clerk shall as near equally as possible assign cause numbers for new filings of all IF

and OV case types to Hamilton Superior Courts No. 4, 6, and 7 (i.e., 1/3 in each court), except

as provided in 109.30 below.

109.20 The Clerk shall accomplish the above by assigning cause numbers to the courts based

upon the first letter of the defendant’s or respondent's last name or other method as the judges of

said courts shall agree.

109.30 All county junk and solid waste OV cases shall be assigned exclusively to Hamilton

Superior Court No. 7.

LR29-AR15-108. COURT REPORTERS AND PROCEDURES

108.10 The Official Court Reporter serving each court has not only the duties assigned by the

Court she or he serves but also certain statutory duties. The purpose of this Rule is to establish

personnel policies relating to the Court Reporters’ special duties.

108.15 Definitions:

a. “Court Reporter” is a person who is specifically designated by a court to perform the

official court reporting services for the Court including preparing a transcript of the

record.

b. “Equipment” means all physical items owned by the Court or other governmental entity

and used by a court reporter in performing court reporting services. Equipment shall

include, but not be limited to, telephones, computer hardware, software programs, disks,

tapes and any other device used for recording and storing, and transcribing electronic

data.

c. “Workspace” means that portion of the Court’s facilities dedicated to each court

reporter, including but not limited to actual space in the courtroom and any designated

office space.

d. “Page” means the page unit of a transcript which results when a recording is transcribed

in the form required by Indiana Rule of Appellate Procedure 7.2.

e. “Recording” means the electronic, mechanical, stenographic or other recording made as

required by Indiana Rule of Trial Procedure 74.

f. “Regular hours” worked means those hours which the Court is regularly scheduled to

work during any given work week. Hamilton County required work hours are 37.5 per

week.

g. “Gap hours” worked means those hours worked that are in excess of the regular hours

but not in excess of forty (40) hours per work week.

h. “Overtime hours” worked means those hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per

work week.

i. “Work week” means a seven (7) consecutive day week that consistently begins and ends

on the same days throughout the year, i.e., Sunday through Saturday, Wednesday

through Tuesday, and Friday through Thursday.

j. “Court” means the particular court for which the court reporter performs services. Court

may also mean a group of courts, i.e., county courts.

k. “County indigent transcript” means a transcript that is paid for from county funds and is

for the use on behalf of a litigant who has been declared indigent by a court.

l. “State indigent transcript” means a transcript that is paid for from state funds and is for

use on behalf of a litigant who has been declared indigent by a court.

m. “Private transcript” means a transcript, including but not limited to, a deposition

transcript that is paid for by a private party.

108.20 A court reporter shall be permitted to type transcripts of official court proceedings during

county-compensated hours if that court reporter does not collect a per page fee for that

transcript. The per-page fee established in 108.55 and 108.65 shall be deposited with the

County. Equipment and supplies shall be used for the recording and/or preparation of such

transcripts. If the recording or preparation of such transcripts requires overtime, such court

reporter will be either paid overtime or given compensatory time.

108.25 A court reporter shall be paid an annual salary for time spent working under the control,

direction, and direct supervision of the court during all regular work hours, gap hours, or

overtime hours.

108.30 The amount of the annual salary of each court reporter shall be set by each court subject

to the approval of the Hamilton County Council.

108.35 The annual salary paid to the court reporter shall be for a fixed scheduled 37.5 regular

working hours per week.

108.40 The court reporter shall, if requested or ordered, prepare any transcript during county-compensated hours but shall not collect a per-page fee for that transcript. The per-page fee,

established in 108.55 and 108.65 shall be deposited with the County.

108.45 In the event that preparing a transcript could not be completed during regular working

hours, a court reporter shall be entitled to additional compensation beyond regular salary under

the two options set forth below:

a. Gap hours shall be paid in the amount equal to the hourly rate of the annual salary; and

overtime hours shall be paid in the amount of 1.5 times the hourly rate of the annual

salary; or

b. Compensatory time off from regular work hours shall be given in the amount equal to

the number of gap hours worked; and compensatory time off from regular work hours

shall be given in the amount of 1.5 times the number of overtime hours worked.

108.50 Each court and court reporter may freely negotiate between themselves as to which of

the two options may be utilized and the Court and court reporter shall enter into a written

agreement designating the terms of such agreement.

108.55 A court reporter may charge $6.25 per page for county and state indigent transcripts. A

court reporter shall submit directly to the county a claim for preparation of county indigent

transcripts.

108.60 A court reporter may, at the request of another official court reporter, agree to prepare

court proceedings of another court. Such preparation shall not be done on county-compensated

hours, but county equipment and supplies may be used. In addition, a court reporter may do

private recording or preparation of depositions, but a court reporter shall not do any recording

or preparation of private depositions during county-compensated hours, and county equipment

and supplies shall not be used for recording or preparation of such depositions.

108.65 A court reporter may charge a maximum of $6.25 per page for a transcript prepared for a

private party.

108.70 The court reporter shall report on an annual basis to the State Court Administrator all

transcript fees, whether county indigent, state indigent, or private received by the court reporter.

108.75 Modification of this policy may be made to meet the security, scheduling or other unique

needs of a particular case. Any modification shall be by written order of the Court. An

individual requesting modification of this policy should provide the Court a factual and/or legal

basis for such request and specifically set forth what items are being requested. (Form AR15-

109).