San Bernardino — Court Reporter Availability Policy for Civil and Probate Cases

Source: https://sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov/system/files/forms-filing/courtreporteravailabilitypolicyforcivilandprobatecases.pdf

Sparse pages use OCR; original PDF remains authoritative.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO 247 West Third Street, Eleventh Floor San Bernardino, California 92415 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO IN RE: AMENDED GENERAL ORDER #G026- COURT REPORTER AVAILABILITY POLICY FOR CIVIL AND PROBATE GENERAL ORDER CASES OF THE PRESIDING JUDGE Official court reporters are required for reporting all proceedings in felony crimina and juvenile cases. Court reporters are not statutorily required to be provided by the courts in civil, family law, probate, misdemeanor criminal, and traffic cases. With the exception of limited civil, misdemeanor and infraction cases, Government Code section 69957 prohibits the courts from providing electronic recording in civil, family law and probate courtrooms. The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino has been suffering from a severe lack of court reporters. Available court reporters are unable to routinely cover non-mandated case types, including civil and probate cases. Official court reporters are not normally available for reporting trials in unlimited cases. Official court reporters are also not normally available for reporting law and motion matters in unlimited jurisdiction cases, except as specifically listed on the court’s website. General Order: Court Reporter Availability Policy for Civil and Probate Cases -1-

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Consequently, parties to a civil or probate matter who want to memorialize a hearing or trial may arrange, at their own expense, for the presence of a court reporter given the likelihood under the present circumstances that the court will NOT be able to provide an official court reporter. (Gov. Code, § 68086, subd. (d)(2) and Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.956(c).) For -trial, a party must comply with Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.956(b)(3). If an official reporter or official reporter pro tempore is unavailable, an indigent litigant may request an official verbatim record of proceedings be made by electronic means in unlimited civil, family law and probate courtrooms. To the extent an official court reporter is available to be assigned to a civil of probate matter, priority will be given in the following order, and the parties will be notified: a) Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Conservatorship The Court finds good cause to allow the parties and counsel in civil or probate cases desiring a court reporter's services for which the court does not make a court reporter available to arrange for the appointment of a privately retained certified shorthand reporter, who will be designated as the Official Court Reporter for the purposes of their trial. If an arrangement for a court reporter is made under this Genera Order, it is the responsibility of the arranging party or parties to pay the reporter's fees for attendance at the proceedings. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.956(c).) This order is effective August 13, 2026, and supersedes all previous genera orders entitled Court Reporter Availability Policy for Civil and Probate Cases, issued by previous Presiding Judges. This order shall remain in effect until December 31, 2027. Dated this 13th day of August, 2026. Rod Cortez ~ Presiding Judge of the Superior Court General Order: Court Reporter Availability Policy for Civil and Probate Cases -2-