Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Approving Local Rules: order-rules-2026-0410-vanderburgh

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

In the Matter of the Approval of Local

Rules for Vanderburgh County

Supreme Court Case No.

26S-MS-117

Order Approving Amended Local Rule

The Judges of the Vanderburgh Circuit and Superior Courts request the approval of an

amended local rule for court reporter services in accordance with Administrative Rule 15.

Attached to this Order is the proposed amended local rule.

Upon examination of the proposed rule amendments requested by the Vanderburgh

Circuit and Superior Courts, this Court finds that the proposed amendments to LR82-AR15-

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

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED by this Court that amended Local Rule, LR82-AR15-

1.28, for the Vanderburgh Circuit and Superior Courts, set forth as an attachment to this Order,

is approved effective on the date of this Order.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ___________ .

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

4/9/2026

LR82-AR15-1.28 Court Reporters

(A) Definitions. The following definitions shall apply under this Local Rule:

(1) 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.

(2) 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, storing and transcribing electronic data.

(3) Work space 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.

(4) Page means the page unit of transcript which results when a recording is transcribed in

the form required by Indiana Rule of Appellate Procedure 7.2.

(5) Recording means the electronic, mechanical, stenographic or other recording made as

required by Indiana Trial Procedure 74.

(6) Regular hours worked means those hours which the court is regularly scheduled to work

during any given work week. Depending on the particular court, these hours may vary from court to

court within the county but remain the same for each week.

(7) Gap hours worked means those hours worked that are in excess of the regular hours

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

(8) Overtime hours worked means those hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per work

week.

(9) Work week means a seven (7) consecutive day week that consistently begins and ends on

the same day throughout the year; i.e. Sunday through Saturday, Wednesday through Tuesday,

Friday through Thursday.

(10) Court means the particular court for which the court reporter performs services. Court

may also mean all of the courts in Vanderburgh County.

(11) 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.

(12) State indigent transcript means a transcript that is paid for from state funds and is for the

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

(13) Private transcript means a transcript, including but not limited to a deposition transcript

that is paid for by a private party.

(B) Salaries and per page fees.

(1) Court reporters shall be paid an annual salary for time spent working under the control,

direction and direct supervision of their supervising court during any regular work hours, gap hours,

or overtime hours. The supervising court shall enter into a written agreement with the court

reporters which outlines the manner in which the court reporter is to be compensated for gap and

overtime hours; i.e. monetary compensation or compensatory time off regular work hours.

(2) The maximum per page fee a court reporter may charge for the preparation of a county

indigent transcript shall be Six Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($6.25) for appellate transcripts and

Five Dollars and Seventy-five Cents ($5.75) for all other transcripts. The Court Reporter shall, after

approval by the Court, submit a claim directly to the county for the preparation of any county

indigent transcripts. All transcripts will be subject to a minimum fee of Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00).

(3) The maximum per page fee a court reporter may charge for the preparation of a state

indigent transcript shall be Six Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($6.25) for appellate transcripts and

Five Dollars and Seventy-five Cents ($5.75) for all other transcripts. All transcripts will be subject to

a minimum fee of Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00).

(4) The maximum per page fee a court reporter may charge for the preparation of a private

transcript shall be Six Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($6.25) for appellate transcripts and Five

Dollars and Seventy-five Cents ($5.75) for all other transcripts. All transcripts will be subject to a

minimum fee of Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00).

(5) The maximum per page fee a court reporter may charge for the preparation of copies of a

transcript shall be One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50).

(6) An additional labor charge approximating the hourly rate based upon the court reporter’s

annual court compensation may be charged for the time spent binding the transcript and exhibit

binders.

(7) An additional $2.00 per page fee may be charged for the preparation of an expedited

transcript (one which is to be completed within 10 calendar days).

(8) Each court reporter shall report, at least on annual basis all transcripts to the Indiana

Supreme Court Office of Judicial Administration. The reporting shall be made on forms prescribed

by the Office of Judicial Administration.

(C) Private Practice

(1) If a court reporter elects to engage in private practice through the recording of a

deposition and/or preparing of a deposition transcript, the court reporter desires to utilize the court’s

equipment, work space and supplies, and the court agrees to the use of the court equipment for such

purpose, the court and the court reporter shall enter into a written agreement which must, at a

minimum, designate the following:

(a) The reasonable market rate for the use of equipment, work space and supplies,

(b) The method by which records are to be kept for the use of equipment, work space

and supplies, and

(c) The method by which the court reporter is to reimburse the court for the use of

the equipment, work space and supplies.

(2) If a court reporter elects to engage in private practice through the recording of a

deposition and/or preparing of a deposition transcript, all such private practice work shall be

conducted outside of regular working hours.