Administrative Order Viewer

In the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court for
DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota Counties, Florida

Administrative Order 2025–09.2

(Supersedes 2012-05.2, 2010-09.2, 2004-03.2 and 2000-25.3)

Recent procedural and technology changes require that a new Court Reporting Plan be entered in this circuit. All previously entered Court Reporting Plans and administrative orders related to court reporting are hereby superseded by this order, including 2012-5.2, 2010-09.2, 2004-03.2 and 2000-25.3.

Under the authority granted to the Chief Judge in Rules 2.215 and 2.535, Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin., and in accordance with Article V, §2, Florida Constitution, and §43.26, Florida Statutes, this court hereby adopts and provides the following Court Reporting Plan for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

1. Court Reporting Defined. “Court reporting” is the act of making a verbatim record of the spoken word through stenographic, voice-writing or digital court recording equipment in any judicial proceedings within the circuit.

   When court reporting is required by statute, court rule, or administrative order, the proceedings will be reported at public expense. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit maintains a list of all proceedings that require court reporting at public expense on the circuit’s website.

   Court reporting may be provided by a party at their own expense for judicial proceedings not required to be reported at public expense.

2. Staffing Model The Twelfth Judicial Circuit uses an employee-based model of court reporting for capturing the record in all judicial proceedings required to be reported at public expense. Circuit-employed court reporters may utilize stenographic, voice-writing and electronic digital recording technology to create a verbatim record of court proceedings. Court reporting services may be provided remotely through a centralized office, or one-on-one with a court reporter present in the courtroom.

   The circuit utilizes contractual services to prepare and proofread transcripts. While it is currently not necessary to use contract court reporters to capture the record of judicial proceedings required to be reported at public expense, the circuit may utilize contract court reporters when necessary.

3. Types of Court Reporters. All employees and independent contractors who perform court reporting or transcription services at public expense, including those who provide transcription services for the court, public defender’s office, state attorney’s office, court-appointed counsel, the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel (hereafter “ORC”), or who provide transcription services for a party declared indigent for costs¹ which may be reimbursable by the Justice Administrative Commission (hereafter “JAC”), must be “approved court reporters” or “approved transcriptionists” as defined by Rule 2.535(a), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin, and must meet the court’s requirements for providing court reporting or transcription services. All employee and contract court reporters and transcriptionists, as described below, meet the definition of “approved court reporter” or “approved transcriptionist.”

   1. Employee Court Reporters: employed by the circuit to provide in-person stenographic, voice-writing, and digital court reporting services or centralized digital court recording services for all court proceedings required to be reported at public expense. Employee court reporters are officers of the court and must comply with all applicable statutes, court rules, and other requirements as established by the State Courts System and the Chief Judge. Employee court reporters who report felony proceedings and prepare transcripts of court proceedings are referred to as “Official Court Reporters.”
   2. Contract Court Reporters and Transcriptionists: utilized when needed throughout the circuit due to the unavailability of employee court reporters. Contract court reporters and transcriptionists work as officers of the court and must comply with all applicable statutes, court rules, and other requirements as established by the State Courts System and the Chief Judge. All independent contractors who perform court reporting and transcription services at public expense on behalf of the court must also enter into a Professional Services Agreement with Court Administration. Contract transcriptionists must apply to become an “approved transcriptionist.” The application is available on the circuit’s website and requires applicants to include transcript samples which must be reviewed and approved. Contact information for securing an “approved transcriptionist” is available on the circuit’s website.
   3. Private Court Reporters: may be used to report proceedings where court reporting is not required to be provided at public expense but may be provided at a party’s expense. If court reporter services are desired, it is the responsibility of the party or the party's attorney to secure the services of a private court reporter or court reporting firm prior to the date of the proceeding. All costs associated with a private court reporter's appearance are the responsibility of the party or parties requesting the court reporter. This provision does not preclude the taxation of costs as authorized by law.² Upon specific request from the presiding judge, a copy of the transcript must be furnished to the court, with payment to the private court reporter for a requested transcript the responsibility of the parties.

4. The Record and Record Ownership. The Chief Judge, in her official capacity, is the owner of all records made by employee court reporters, contract court reporters and transcriptionists in proceedings required to be reported at public expense and proceedings reported for the court’s own use.³ All contract court reporters are required to provide all of the electronic recordings, steno notes, and transcripts to Court Administration pursuant to the terms of the Professional Services Agreement or as may be required by the Trial Court Administrator. The following definitions apply to the record:

   1. Transcript: The written verbatim record of a judicial proceeding.
   2. Steno Notes: The rapid writing system using specialized symbols, shortcuts, and abbreviations to record spoken words used by stenographers to produce a transcript.
   3. Electronic Recording: The audio recording of the verbatim record of a judicial proceeding that was captured by the court’s digital court recording equipment.

5. Qualifications and Duties of Employee and Contract Court Reporters

   1. Court Administration is responsible for providing qualified and trained court reporters to perform court reporting services for proceedings required to be reported at public expense.
   2. Employee and contract court reporters meet all professional standards and training requirements established by Florida statute, court rule, the State Courts System, and the Chief Judge.
   3. Employee court reporters may not provide deposition services, in court or otherwise, nor may they prepare transcripts from depositions.

6. Felony Trials, Capital Cases and Utilizing Official Court Reporters

   1. Whenever possible, felony trials will be reported in-person by Official Court Reporters who may provide real-time transcription of the proceedings to the presiding judge and who shall prepare the official transcript of the trial.
   2. When there are not sufficient Official Court Reporters to report all felony trials in-person, felony trials may be digitally recorded and monitored either in the courtroom or through a centralized office.
   3. When there are not sufficient Official Court Reporters to report all felony trials in-person, the Official Court Reporters shall communicate with the felony trial judges to prioritize the use of the Official Court Reporters and the digital court recording system.
   4. In all trials in which the state seeks the death penalty and in capital post-conviction proceedings, Official Court Reporters shall provide real-time transcription of the proceedings and shall finalize the transcripts in priority fashion. Pursuant to court rule, the use of digital court reporting for these proceedings is prohibited.⁴
   5. Felony judges may request an Official Court Reporter for lengthy evidentiary hearings, including lengthy post-conviction evidentiary hearings, however, priority will be given to scheduling Official Court Reporters for felony trials.
   6. When an Official Court Reporter is requested to perform a readback in open court, an additional court reporter shall not be brought into the courtroom to make a record of the readback. Additionally, any work product used by the court reporter to accomplish the readback shall not be filed in the court file.
   7. Unless it is otherwise unavoidable, judges should not utilize more than one method of court reporting (stenographic, voice-writing or digital court recording) at the same time to create the court’s record.

7. All Other Judicial Proceedings to Use Digital Court Recording System

   1. All other judicial proceedings required to be reported at public expense, except for those delineated in section VI, will be digitally recorded.
   2. The digital recording system utilized by the Twelfth Judicial Circuit complies with all statewide standards for digital court recording as established by the Florida Courts Technology Commission.
   3. A judge may digitally record any court proceeding at his or her discretion.
   4. When digital recording is used to capture the record, only an audio recording is created; no video is recorded or retained.
   5. All courtrooms and hearing rooms are equipped with digital recording equipment and have signs posted at the entrance indicating that electronic recording equipment is in use, that participants should safeguard information they do not want recorded, and that attorneys must take all reasonable and available precautions to protect the disclosure of confidential communications in the courtroom.⁵ All courtrooms are equipped with “hold to mute” microphones to assist participants with protecting confidential communications from being recorded.
   6. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit has procedures for regular testing of the recording systems to ensure proper operation and storage of recordings.
   7. The circuit has developed and implemented standardized “tagging” of digital recordings in which there is a significant likelihood an electronic recording or transcript may be requested.
   8. Felony grand jury testimony scheduled by the State Attorney’s office shall be digitally recorded.

8. Guidelines for Using Privately Retained Court Reporters at Proceedings Required to be Reported at Public Expense.

   1. Prohibited in Felony, Misdemeanor and Juvenile Proceedings – All criminal and juvenile court proceedings are required to be reported at public expense. The official record in these proceedings is the electronic recording or transcript prepared by employee or contract court reporters or transcriptionists. Individuals, agencies, or governmental entities may not bring their own private court reporter to any felony, misdemeanor or juvenile (includes all TPR, dependency and delinquency) court proceeding to save on potential transcript costs.
   2. Non-Criminal, Adult Proceedings - In all non-criminal, adult court proceedings required to be reported at public expense, employee court reporters will use digital recording to create an electronic record. Upon advance approval from the presiding judge, magistrate or hearing officer, a party may bring its own privately retained court reporter to the hearing, however, the proceedings shall also be digitally recorded, and the court’s electronic record from the digital recording will always provide the basis for the official record.⁶ The presiding judge, magistrate or hearing officer has full authority to deny a party’s request to provide its own court reporter to a proceeding that is being digitally recorded by the court.

9. Transcripts And Transcript Fees.

   1. The court only provides transcripts for felony trials and felony hearings. The electronic recording is the only media provided for all other hearings that are required to be recorded or reported at public expense.
   2. With the exception of appellate transcripts (see Section XI below), all transcript requests must be made online on the circuit’s website.
   3. The courts have not been allocated funds to provide free transcripts to anyone, and payment must be made to the State of Florida, Twelfth Judicial Circuit, for all transcripts provided to requesting parties (other than transcripts requested by trial court judges or court staff).
   4. Transcript rates and fees apply to all persons requesting a transcript, including private individuals and other state and local government agencies, regardless of the method of court reporting used.⁷
   5. An estimated 50% deposit will be required to start the transcript, and full payment must be received before the completed transcript will be provided.
   6. By statute, State Attorneys, Public Defenders, the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel (ORC), and court-appointed counsel are all responsible for their own reasonable court reporting and transcription costs.⁸ Funds for transcripts are allocated to the different entities statewide,⁹ and the Justice Administrative Commission (JAC) pays the costs for transcripts requested from these specific entities.
   7. The JAC has historically entered into a shared cost agreement with the Office of the State Courts Administrator for the cost of transcripts in felony cases on behalf of the Twelfth Circuit’s state attorney, public defender,¹⁰ ORC and court-appointed counsel.¹¹ When this shared cost agreement is in place, the Twelfth Judicial Circuit will provide either a transcript or electronic record (if available) of felony proceedings to these entities at no cost.
   8. The Florida Supreme Court adopted standards of operation and best practices for court reporting services in AOSC11-22, In Re: Court Reporting Services in Florida’s Trial Courts. Pursuant to this administrative order, circuits operating under a shared cost agreement may provide transcripts to applicable entities for “appellate review, other purposes in which a transcript is considered a necessity by the court in the best interest of justice, or if an audio/video file is unavailable.” Unless required for appellate purposes, when an electronic record is available, requests from shared cost agreement entities for transcripts of felony proceedings must be accompanied by a court order indicating that the transcript is a necessity in the best interest of justice.¹² Otherwise, an electronic record will be provided, if available
   9. The state attorney, public defender, court-appointed counsel, and the ORC do not have a shared cost agreement with the Office of the State Courts Administrator for the preparation of transcripts in non-felony court proceedings. Therefore, those entities must pay the transcript fee in full or use their own approved transcriptionists or approved court reporters to transcribe the electronic record of all other court proceedings that are digitally recorded by the court at their own cost. Court Administration will provide the electronic record to these entities at no cost.
   10. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit will waive the deposit and prepayment requirements for transcript requests made by privately retained attorneys who have clients declared indigent for costs.¹³ The request must be accompanied by a court order finding the defendant indigent for costs and an order authorizing payment for preparation of the transcript.
   11. Whenever possible, transcripts will be produced within 30 calendar days. Upon receipt of a transcript request, the court reporter will provide an estimated cost and production timeframe to the requestor. A request for expedited transcripts by a shared-cost agency must be accompanied by the required expedited fee or a court order that explains why the expedited transcript is required.
   12. All transcripts prepared by employee or contract court reporters or transcriptionists shall comply with the form, size, spacing, and method of printing requirements set forth in Rule 2.535(f), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.
   13. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit accepts online credit card payments as the preferred payment method,¹⁴ as well as checks and money orders made payable to "State of Florida". The circuit does not accept cash payments.
   14. All transcript rates are set forth in the table below.
       Transcript Rates

       Regular Transcript Fee	$ 7.00 per page
       Expedited Transcript Fee (delivery within 5 business days)	$ 9.00 per page
       Overnight Transcript Fee (delivery within 1 business day)	$11.00 per page
       Copy of transcript already prepared	$ 2.00 per page

       • The Transcript Fee includes only the original transcript. Additional paper copies are charged $2.00 per page.
       • An Expedited Transcript Fee applies if the requested turnaround time on the transcript is between 8 and 40 business hours. Expedited and overnight transcripts are subject to the availability of the employee or contract court reporter or transcriptionist, and may not always be accommodated.

       * Whenever possible, transcripts will be produced within 30 calendar days. Upon receipt of a transcript request, the court reporter will provide an estimated cost and production timeframe to the requestor. Production is dependent upon staffing, pending transcript requests and pending appellate transcript designations.

10. Electronic Recordings and Associated Fees

    1. With the exception of when Official Court Reporters are used, all hearings which are required to be reported at public expense are digitally recorded, and an electronic recording of the proceeding is available for purchase.
    2. All requests for an electronic recording of a digitally recorded proceeding must be made online on the circuit’s website.
    3. Upon request and payment, employee court reporters will provide an electronic recording of a digitally recorded court proceeding. The electronic record may be provided via a web-based hyperlink, a CD, or other electronic media format.
    4. Employee court reporters have procedures for producing copies of electronic recordings in accordance with court rule and standards established by the State Courts System, including procedures preventing the release of confidential information, ensuring the accuracy of the recording and certifying the recording for correctness.
    5. Electronic recordings provided to attorneys of record, parties to a case and self-represented litigants may include confidential information. Further dissemination of confidential information contained on a recording is prohibited, and violation of the prohibition against dissemination may subject the requestor to an action for contempt of court.
    6. It is the responsibility of the requesting party to review the contents of the electronic recording provided, specifically, that the recordings are, in fact, what was requested. It is particularly important that requestors review the content before giving the recording to an approved transcriptionist or approved court reporter to prepare a transcript.
    7. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit accepts online credit card payments as the preferred payment method,¹⁵ as well as checks and money orders made payable to "State of Florida". The circuit does not accept cash payments.
    8. The rates for electronic recordings of digitally recorded proceedings are set forth below.
       Electronic Recording Rates

       Hyperlink, Audio-Version CD, or other media	$25.00 per proceeding per day
       PC-Version CD*	$35.00 per proceeding per day
       *will not play on an Apple Mac computer

       • Hyperlinks are the fastest method for obtaining the electronic recording and will be emailed to the requestor following receipt of payment. Hyperlinks do not contain annotations of the proceeding, but can still be used by a transcriptionist to produce a transcript of the proceeding.
       • Audio Version CD – Audio version CDs can be played in CD players, personal computers or Apple Mac computers. This version does not have a self-executing program to aid in the transcription of the hearing. Includes a certification that it is an unaltered digital recording of the requested court proceeding.
       • PC-Version CD – Plays on a personal computer (will not work on an Apple Mac computer) and contains a self-executing program to aid in the transcription of the proceeding. Includes a certification that it is an unaltered digital recording of the requested court proceeding.

11. Procedure for Procuring Transcripts for Felony Appeals

    1. When a Notice of Appeal is filed and transcripts are requested in a felony case, the Twelfth Judicial Circuit requires that a Designation to Approved Court Reporter or Approved Transcriptionist¹⁶ be served on the office of the Official Court Reporters.¹⁷ A copy must be emailed, hand-delivered or sent via US Mail to the Official Court Reporters. Filing an original Designation with the clerk’s office does not constitute service on the court reporter.
    2. The mailing and email address for all felony transcript designations is:
       Official Court Reporters
       c/o Manatee County Judicial Center
       1051 Manatee Ave. West – 8th Floor
       PO Box 3000
       Bradenton, FL 34206-3000
       email address: CourtReporters@jud12.flcourts.org
    3. Pursuant to Rule 9.200(b), Fla. R. App. P., costs of the original transcript and all copies shall be borne initially by the designating party. The costs of appellate transcripts are the same as other transcripts set forth in this Administrative Order. The transcript rates and fees apply to all persons requesting a transcript for purposes of appeal, including private individuals and other state and local government agencies, regardless of the method of court reporting used.¹⁸
    4. The Employee Court Reporters will not begin preparing a requested transcript until a deposit of 50% of the estimated cost of the transcript is received, and the final transcript will not be filed with the Clerk of Court until the balance of the transcript cost is paid in full.
    5. Attorneys with clients that have been declared indigent for costs¹⁹ and who wish to withdraw as defense counsel after judgment and sentence, must follow all the procedures set forth in Rule 9.140(d), Fla. R. App. P., before they may withdraw from a case. This includes filing the notice of appeal or cross appeal (if applicable); filing the statement of judicial acts to be reviewed; filing directions to the clerk; filing designations to the approved court reporter and serving a copy on the Official Court Reporters²⁰; and moving the court to appoint the Twelfth Circuit’s public defender to represent the defendant for purpose of appeal. If these documents are not provided to the Official Court Reporters, defense counsel will be billed for the requested transcripts.
    6. Privately retained attorneys who do not withdraw as counsel after judgment and sentence and who have clients declared indigent for costs are included in the shared cost agreement. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit will waive the deposit and prepayment requirements for appellate transcript requests made by privately retained attorneys with clients declared indigent for costs. The attorney must provide the court order finding the defendant indigent for costs and the designation to the Official Court Reporters.
    7. Pursuant to Rule 9.140(f)(2)(A), Fla. R. App. P., if a defendant’s transcript designation of proceedings requires the expenditure of public funds, the designation to the court reporter shall only require transcripts that fairly support the issue raised on appeal or the statement of judicial acts to be reviewed. This rule will be strictly enforced, and the court may request a hearing be held when a Supplemental Designation requests transcripts of court events specifically excluded by trial counsel in the initial designation.

12. Notice of Appeal and Designations to Court Reporters for Non-Felony Proceedings

    1. When a Notice of Appeal is filed and transcripts are requested for any non-felony court proceeding which was digitally recorded by Employee Court Reporters, the Designation to Approved Court Reporter or Approved Transcriptionist must not be sent to Court Administration or the court reporting office because Employee Court Reporters do not provide transcripts of non-felony court proceedings.
    2. Upon receipt of a completed Request for Electronic Recording or Transcript form and payment, if applicable, the Digital Court Recording Office will provide an electronic recording of the court proceeding through a web-based hyperlink, CD, or other electronic media which may be transcribed by an “approved court reporter” or “approved transcriptionist” selected by the requestor.
    3. All designations and acknowledgments should be sent by the Appellant/Appellee to the “approved court reporter” or “approved transcriptionist” hired by the requesting party to transcribe the recording. The Designation must not direct the Employee Court Reporters nor Court Administration to transcribe the proceedings. In order to comply with appellate time standards, it is suggested that the Designations not be served to the “approved court reporter” or “approved transcriptionist” until the Appellant/Appellee has received and reviewed the contents of the recording which contain the record under review.

13. Other Related Administrative Orders Superseded -

    Administrative Orders 2012-5.2 (In Re: Limiting In-Court Appearances by Official Court Reporters), 2010-09.2 (In Re: Court Reporting Plan), 2004-03.2 (Procedures for Obtaining Transcripts Prepared by the Official Court Reporters in Matters Involving Confidential or Exempt Information) and 2000-25.3 (Transcripts in all Death Penalty Cases and Capital Postconviction Proceedings) are hereby superseded by this order.

This Administrative Order is effective July 1, 2025.

Done and ordered in Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida, on June 17, 2025.

Diana L. Moreland, Chief Judge

1. See § 27.52(5), Fla. Stat.
2. See Rule 2.535(b), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.
3. See Rule 2.535(d), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.
4. See Rule 2.535(i), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.
5. See Rule 2.535(h)(5), Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.
6. If a discrepancy occurs in a transcript produced by means other than the court’s electronic recording, a transcript prepared from the court’s electronic recording is the official record.
7. These transcript rates also apply to the Twelfth Circuit State Attorney, Public Defender, the ORC, and court-appointed counsel when there is not a shared cost agreement with the Office of the State Courts Administrator for the payment of court reporting services and transcripts in felony proceedings.
8. See § §29.005(2); 29.006(2); and 29.007(3), Fla. Stat.
9. The Florida Legislature has historically appropriated funding for this specific purpose through the General Appropriations Act.
10. When the Tenth Circuit Public Defender’s Office handles felony appeals on behalf of the Twelfth Circuit Public Defender’s Office, it is included in the shared cost agreement for felony appellate transcripts.
11. As an historical note, when the shared cost agreement was first established, the only court reporters on staff were the Official Court Reporters (who only prepared felony transcripts), which is why the shared cost agreement only includes felony proceedings. The shared cost agreement has never been amended to include non-felony proceedings or to include any other state entities.
12. A sample order is available on the circuit’s website.
13. See §57.081(1), Fla. Stat.
14. A convenience fee is charged for all online credit card purchases. This convenience fee is paid directly to the company processing the payment, does not go to Court Administration, and is in addition to the cost of the transcript.
15. A convenience fee is charged for all online credit card purchases. This convenience fee is paid directly to the company processing the payment, does not go to Court Administration, and is in addition to the cost of the digital recording.
16. The Designation must comply with Rule 9.900(h), Fla. R. App. P.
17. Rule 9.140(f)(2)(A), Fla. R. App. P.
18. Transcript rates for appeals also apply to the Twelfth Circuit State Attorney, Public Defender, the ORC and court-appointed counsel if there is not a shared cost agreement with the Office of the State Courts Administrator for the payment of court reporting services and transcripts in felony proceedings.
19. §27.52(5), Fla. Stat.
20. Rule 9.140(f)(2)(A), Fla. R. App. P.