The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court Reporting Services Office is responsible for digitally recording and transcribing all non-civil proceedings. Audio recordings provide the only independently verifiable record of what people in the courtroom actually say, thus, they are unfiltered by anyone’s individual interpretations, mishearings, or distractions.
Digital Court Reporters are responsible for listening to the recording of courtroom events through headphones while the proceeding occurs to ensure recording quality. Digital Court Reporters monitor and record multiple proceedings at the same time from a remote location.
The proceedings required to be electronically recorded at public expense in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit include, but are not limited to the following:
- All county and circuit criminal hearings and trials;
- Juvenile delinquency and dependency proceedings;
- Juvenile detention and shelter hearings;
- Termination of parental rights hearings;
- Criminal contempt hearings that result from civil proceedings;
- Domestic violence, stalking, repeat violence, sexual violence, and dating violence injunction cases;
- Baker Act and Marchman Act proceedings;
- All proceedings heard by a general magistrate or hearing officer except for civil proceedings conducted in traffic court;
- Guardianship proceedings; and
- Other proceedings as may be required by law or rule, or the court.
Court Reporting Services captures proceedings utilizing one recording program: OpenCourt. Therefore, the audio will be available in MP3 format Please note that audio CDs are not the official record and cannot be used as such in subsequent court proceedings.
Transcripts and audio CD/USB drive of court proceedings can be obtained by completing one of the appropriate forms using the applicable links: Transcription Request or Audio Request. All transcripts are transcribed and prepared by court-approved transcriptionists and, therefore, payment arrangements must be made in advance.
Please note that the Administrative Office of the Court shall retain ownership of the complete verbatim Multi-Media Court Record generated in all judicial proceedings indicated herein.
REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS FOR THE APPEALS PROCESS:
The Certificate of Service for all Designation to Court Reporter, Notice of Appeal, and Motion to Supplement the Record should include Court Reporting Services, 218 South Second Street, Fort Pierce, FL 34950, E-filed at RecordingSLC@circuit19.org. All questions regarding these types of transcripts should be directed to Court Reporting Services at (772)462-1879 or the email address above.
The cost for appeal transcripts are as follows:
Original plus 2 copies = $6.00 per page
Dependency appeals – original plus 3 copies = $7.00 per page (mandatory 20-day transcript filing)
All transcripts are prepared by Court Reporting Services’ approved contractual typists. All transcript requests will receive a quote for the approximate cost of the transcript. The cost estimate is based upon calculation formula using time duration of the actual recorded proceedings. Please know that in most cases 50 percent deposit of the cost quote is required in order to begin the transcription process. Acceptable methods of payment are cashier’s check, money order or attorney’s check. All proceeds must be made payable to the State of Florida, or electronic deposit payment may be made via LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc.’s electronic payment, which will also be subject to their minimum processing service fee. Court Reporting Services does not accept personal checks or cash payment.
The cost for transcripts and applicable mailing are as follows:
Original plus 1 copy = $5.00 per page
Copies = $1.00 per page
Priority mail = Current USPS Rate
REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS FOR THE APPEALS PROCESS:
The Certificate of Service for all Designation to Court Reporter, Notice of Appeal, and Motion to Supplement the Record should include Court Reporting Services, 218 South Second Street, Fort Pierce, FL 34950, E-filed at RecordingSLC@circuit19.org. All questions regarding these types of transcripts should be directed to Court Reporting Services at (772)462-1879 or the email address above.
The cost for appeal transcripts are as follows:
Original plus 2 copies = $6.00 per page
Dependency appeals – original plus 3 copies = $7.00 per page (mandatory 20-day transcript filing)
Transcript Request Form
The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit is made up of four counties: Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee.
Electronic copies of court proceedings that have been digitally recorded are available for purchase through the Court Reporting Services Office. The following are types of cases which are digitally recorded throughout the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit: Circuit Court Criminal, County Court Criminal, Domestic Violence Hearings, and hearings heard before Magistrates and Hearing Officers. Proceedings that are confidential in nature, such as Mental Health, Juvenile Dependency, and Juvenile Delinquency may be obtained only if an individual is a party to the case or by court order. These requests must be picked up in person and the individual must provide proper identification (driver’s license, state identification, or passport).
An Audio Request Form must be completed and submitted to the Court Reporting Services Office. Please note that there are three versions of the electronic copy of the proceedings. You must specify which version you want on the Audio Request Form. Below are the three ways audio may be requested
- A compact disc with a self-executing software program that can be utilized on a personal computer (PC Version CD)
- A compact disc in MP3 format.
- A USB Drive (not compatible with Mac computers)
Please note that an audio CD or USB Drive is not an official record. This audio CD or USB Drive is solely for use by the requesting party and specifically for listening purposes only. Only a Nineteenth Judicial Circuit court-approved transcriber should prepare a transcript using the audio contained on the CD or USB Drive.
Acknowledgement of Prohibition Against Dissemination form must be completed and signed and submitted with the audio request. This form must be submitted with your money order and request form. All media requests will be subject to a redaction fee.
All discs cost $25.00 each. All USB Drives cost $27.00 each. This price includes all shipping and handling charges. Please note that the confidential proceedings listed above must be picked up in person. Additionally, the person that is picking up this audio must provide proper identificatation (driver’s license, state identification, or passport). Payment may be made by money order or attorney’s check and made payable to the State of Florida, or payment may be made via LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc’s electronic payment and will also be subject to their minimum processing service fee. The request form must be received before the audio request will be processed.
CD media mailer – Current USPS Rate
*Please allow 2 to 3 business days to process an audio request.
Please submit this request along with the money order to:
Court Reporting Services
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit
218 South Second Street
Fort Pierce, FL 34950
OR
Email documents to RecordingSLC@circuit19.org
Please submit electronic payments using the Online Payment button below.