Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2008 Session > Title 14

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Title 14 - Courts

CHAPTER 15.

COURT STENOGRAPHERS AND BAILIFFS

ARTICLE 1.

COURT STENOGRAPHERS

SECTION 14-15-10. Appointment, term, and removal of court stenographer.

There shall be at least one court stenographer for each judicial circuit of the State, who shall be appointed by the circuit judge of the respective circuits for a period not exceeding the term for which the circuit judge making the appointment was elected, and such court stenographer shall be subject to removal by the circuit judge making the appointment.

SECTION 14-15-15. Court reporters employed by Judicial Department subject to removal by Department or judge only for just cause; filling vacancies.

Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, all court reporters employed by the Judicial Department shall be subject to removal by the judge or the Judicial Department only for just cause. In the event that a vacancy occurs in a circuit or family court judgeship, the judge who fills the vacancy shall not be empowered to replace the court reporter previously hired by his predecessor. The judge may hire a court reporter when a vacancy occurs in the court reporter's position.

SECTION 14-15-20. Assistant court stenographers may be appointed for certain judicial circuits; use as substitutes in other circuits.

In all judicial circuits of the State which have a population of more than one hundred seventy-five thousand persons, as determined by the latest official United States census, the resident circuit judge may appoint an assistant court stenographer whose duties, compensation and term of office shall be the same as provided for chief stenographers in Sections 14-15-10, 14-15-30 and 14-15-40. Provided, that assistant court stenographers shall be available for assignment in other judicial circuits to substitute for regular stenographers who are sick or otherwise incapacitated. The Chief Justice shall make such assignments.

SECTION 14-15-30. Duties of stenographers.

Every stenographer so appointed, under the direction of the presiding judge of his circuit, shall take full stenographic notes of all proceedings including the rulings and charge of the court in every trial thereat. In case the presiding judge or the solicitor, for use in criminal cases, shall require a transcript of such stenographic notes the stenographer shall furnish the same written out in full.

SECTION 14-15-40. Fees of stenographers.

The Court Stenographers shall, in addition to their salaries, receive such fees for all transcripts furnished litigants as shall be provided by rule of the Supreme Court. The Court Reporters shall furnish a transcript of any case or any part thereof, after a demand for same has been made, within such time period as the Supreme Court shall provide by rule. Any sum so paid by any party for the transcript of any case or any part thereof shall be considered a necessary disbursement in the taxation of cost.

SECTION 14-15-50. Rules for stenographers in the seventh circuit.

The resident circuit judge of the seventh judicial circuit may appoint some competent stenographer for the courts of general sessions for the seventh judicial circuit, who shall receive, in addition to his salary, the fees fixed by law for all transcripts furnished by him.

When the stenographer of the court of common pleas does not furnish transcripts as promptly as required by law and otherwise perform his duties, then the stenographer of the court of general sessions shall at once perform the duties of the stenographer of the court of common pleas until the stenographer of the court of common pleas shall have furnished all transcripts required and the stenographer of the court of general sessions shall receive the compensation and the fees of the stenographer of the court of common pleas while performing the duties as aforesaid.

SECTION 14-15-60. Appointment and compensation of special stenographers.

The circuit judges of this State may appoint a special court stenographer to act in the place and stead of the regular court stenographer in case of the sickness, absence or inability to act of the regular court stenographer at any term or part of a term of either the court of common pleas or general sessions. Such stenographer, when so appointed, shall receive not more than the sum of seven and one-half dollars per day for each day he may be in attendance upon the court. The presiding judge shall certify the number of days any such special stenographer may be engaged in the court as such and upon this certificate the Comptroller General shall draw his warrant upon the State Treasurer for the amount due such stenographer for his services and the said State Treasurer may pay the same.

SECTION 14-15-70. Stenographer for special term of court.

The presiding judge at any special term of the circuit court may, when the official stenographer is performing the duties of his office at a court then being held in some other county of the circuit, appoint a stenographer for such term of the court who shall perform the duties of the office of court stenographer for such term.

SECTION 14-15-80. Compensation of stenographer appointed for special term of court.

The stenographer appointed under the provision of Section 14-15-70 shall receive the same compensation as that allowed by law to the official stenographer in proportion to the time of service, to be paid out of the county treasury upon the warrant of the clerk of the court, approved by the presiding judge, and also the usual fees for copies of testimony and reports of court proceedings to be paid by the parties ordering the same.

ARTICLE 3.

BAILIFFS

SECTION 14-15-210. Bailiffs; appointment, number and removal.

The sheriffs of the respective counties in this State shall be empowered to appoint as many bailiffs as they see fit, not to exceed five in number, whose duties shall be as now provided by law. The bailiffs may be removed, increased or decreased by the circuit judge within his discretion.