Court Reporter Information
Court Reporter Information
Court reporters make a verbatim official record of court proceedings and are responsible for preparing transcripts as required by law or upon request of the parties. All court reporters employed by the Superior Court have completed a rigorous course of study and have passed the California Certified Shorthand Reporters Board examination.
In addition to a permanent staff of official court reporters, the Court may use pro tempore reporters on an as-needed basis.
Independent court reporter RealTime instructions
If you are hired by attorneys to provide court reporting services at the San Joaquin County Superior Court, you may need to install software before arriving at court.
Judges have RealTime connections and may prefer live streaming of court reporting. The Court uses a Tripp Lite connection device for RealTime transcription.
Download and install the appropriate driver before your court appearance:
After installing the driver, you should be ready to connect to the judge’s RealTime system.
Due to configuration requirements, please arrive at your assigned courtroom at least 15 minutes before the proceeding begins.
Court-provided court reporters
Provided as required by law
- Criminal — Felony
- Juvenile Dependency
- Juvenile Delinquency
Generally not provided
- Civil (limited and unlimited) — see public notice below
- Criminal — Misdemeanor
- Family Law
Not provided
- Probate (including estates and trusts)
- Conservatorships
- Guardianships
- Small Claims
- Unlawful Detainers (Landlord/Tenant)
- Infractions
- Traffic
Public notice
Public Notice — August 23, 2012: Non-availability of official court reporting services in civil departments , opens PDF document
Additional information
Stipulation and order to use a certified shorthand reporter
Parties may, by stipulation, arrange for the appointment of a privately retained certified shorthand reporter when an official court reporter is not normally available. A copy of the court-approved Stipulation and Order form , opens PDF document may be obtained online, in the courtroom, or in the Clerk’s Office.
Court record
There are two kinds of court records that reflect actions taken in a case: the court docket (register of actions) and transcripts of court proceedings.
The register of actions is continually updated to reflect parties and attorneys, filed documents, hearing dates, and actions taken by the court. Copies of the register of actions may be requested from the Records Management Department.
Transcripts are verbatim records of what is said during a hearing or trial. Except for transcripts required by law, parties requesting transcripts must pay the reporter for preparation. Transcript information is in Government Code section 69950 and following.
Request a transcript — cases where the Court provided a court reporter
To request a court reporter’s transcript, contact the official court reporter directly. If you do not know the reporter’s name or contact information, email sjreporter@sjcourts.org. This process does not apply to cases where the parties arranged the court reporter.
Include the following in your request:
- Name, telephone number, and email address of the requesting party
- Case name
- Case number
- Type of proceeding (be specific, for example: plea, sentencing, or jury trial). Note that there is typically a per-page fee.
- Date of proceedings
- Name of judge
- Department or courtroom number
- Name of reporter, if known
The court reporter will contact you directly regarding your request.
Request a transcript — cases where the parties arranged the court reporter
The Court is not required to provide a court reporter in certain case types, but a privately retained reporter may have been present. If a court reporter was present and you need a transcript, contact the reporter or the reporter’s agency directly.
- If you do not know the reporter’s name, contact the appropriate court department to request that information.
- If you know the reporter’s name, you may contact the reporter directly. You may also find a business address through the Court Reporters Board of California using the license search.