If it appears to the trial court, after full investigation, that the defendant or petitioner is without sufficient funds, and has no reasonable way to procure same, to pay the court reporter all of his lawful fee for transcribing the evidence and other proceedings had at the trial or the fees of the clerk incident to an appeal or that the defendant or petitioner has reasonably available to him only enough funds to pay a part of such fees, he shall make and enter an order requiring the court reporter to transcribe all or such parts of evidence of the proceedings occurring at the trial that may be necessary to afford the appellate court a record of sufficient completeness for review and shall order the clerk to prepare the record on appeal. The trial court shall, at said time, make and enter an order authorizing the payment of a sum certain to the court reporter of all or a part of his estimated fees, calculated at the rate provided by law, upon the completion and delivery of a transcript and three carbon copies thereof, duly certified and filed with the clerk, one of said carbon copies to be delivered by the clerk to the defendant or petitioner. The court shall also at said time make and enter an order authorizing the payment of a sum certain to the clerk of all or a part of his estimated fees incident to the appeal. Such order shall not be made unless and until the defendant or petitioner has paid to the court reporter and to the clerk that part of the amount due the court reporter and the clerk which the court has found must be borne by the defendant or petitioner, and the defendant or petitioner shall furnish to the court satisfactory evidence of such payment. The trial court shall cause a certified copy of such order to be delivered to the court reporter and to the clerk; and, upon the filing of said transcript and three carbon copies thereof by the court reporter with the clerk of the trial court and the complete preparation of the record on appeal by the clerk, the clerk shall transmit such order to the state Comptroller, whereupon the state Comptroller shall cause to be paid to the court reporter and to the clerk out of the general funds in the State Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the amount of said fees.
Last modified: May 3, 2021