Clerk's and Reporter's Transcripts in Los Angeles County

Current Los Angeles Court-Reporting Model

Current Los Angeles Local Rule 2.21 provides, in substance:

• The court normally provides official reporters in felony criminal, juvenile, and mental-health matters.
• The court does not normally provide official reporters in unlimited civil cases.
• The court does not provide official reporters for proceedings in the Appellate Division itself, and official electronic recording is not authorized there to create a verbatim record of those appellate proceedings.
• The court does not normally provide official reporters in family law and probate matters, subject to identified availability in certain proceedings.
• Limited civil, misdemeanor, and infraction trial-court proceedings are generally electronically recorded to create the official verbatim record unless a court reporter is arranged under the court's procedures.

• Los Angeles Superior Court — Local Rule 2.21Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles lacourt.ca.gov

Why This Matters to an Appeal

If an unlimited civil hearing was not reported, a reporter's transcript cannot simply be created later because an appeal was filed. Conversely, where a limited civil, misdemeanor, or infraction proceeding was officially electronically recorded, the local appellate rules provide a mechanism for using a written transcript of that recording as the record of oral proceedings.

Official Reporters and Reporters Pro Tempore

Los Angeles provides a transcript-request process for proceedings reported by court-employed official reporters and separate information for certified shorthand reporters serving as official reporters pro tempore.

Before requesting a transcript, identify the courthouse, department, date, and how the proceeding was actually captured.

• Los Angeles Superior Court — Transcript Requests and Court Reporter/Electronic Recording InformationSuperior Court of California, County of Los Angeles lacourt.ca.gov

Second District Record Designation

For a civil appeal to the Second District, Local Rule 3 requires each requested oral proceeding to be identified by date, department, reporter or electronic-recording monitor, and nature of the proceeding.

Obtaining a transcript and properly making it part of the appellate record are related but distinct tasks.

• Second Appellate District — Local Rules and OrdersCalifornia Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District appellate.courts.ca.gov

Appellate Division Record of Oral Proceedings

Current Los Angeles Local Rule 9.6 provides that when qualifying limited civil, misdemeanor, or infraction trial-court proceedings were officially electronically recorded, the court provides a written transcript of that recording as the official record of oral proceedings under the applicable rules.

The same rule provides separate record procedures for limited civil matters and for misdemeanor and infraction appeals.

• Los Angeles Superior Court — Chapter 9 Appellate Division RulesSuperior Court of California, County of Los Angeles lacourt.ca.gov

Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division

Practical Transcript Checklist

Useful questions include:

• Which proceeding matters to the appellate issue?
• Where and when did it occur?
• Was an official reporter present?
• Was a reporter pro tempore used?
• Was the proceeding officially electronically recorded?
• Has a certified transcript already been prepared?
• Has the oral proceeding been properly designated for the appeal?