Texas Government Code 30.00226 – Court Reporter
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(a) The city shall provide a court reporter for the purpose of preserving a record in cases tried before the municipal court of record. The person selected as court reporter must meet the qualifications provided by law for official court reporters. The chief administrative officer of the city shall set the compensation of the court reporter on the recommendation of the presiding municipal judge.
(b) The court reporter may preserve the record through written notes, transcribing equipment, recording equipment, or any combination of those methods. The reporter is not required to record testimony in a case in which neither the defendant, the prosecutor, nor the judge demands it.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 30.00226
- Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) Instead of using a court reporter to preserve a record in a case, the governing body may authorize the use of a good quality electronic recording device to report court proceedings. If the governing body authorizes an electronic recording, the court reporter is not required to be present to certify the reporter’s record. The recording shall be kept for the 20-day period beginning the day after the last day of the court proceeding, trial, or denial of motion for new trial, whichever occurs last. If a case is appealed, the proceedings shall be transcribed from the recording by an official court reporter.