How can I submit payment for my request? Can the request be completed before payment is submitted?
Production will not begin on any request products until payment has been received by our office. Our office will provide payment instructions via e-mail. Please note: Cash payments are not accepted, nor do we take payment information via telephone.
Request for Digital Download and/or CD/DVD: If you are a party to the case on the Online Request Form and have selected the card option as your method of payment, you will be prompted to submit an online payment after you have reached the confirmation page of your request. This option is not available for public records requests. Once you are on this page at the end of your request, there is a link to submit a card payment online which directs you to a third-party agency for collection. The payment link will only be available at that time (if you close out of the window or the window times out, there is no way to retrieve the link for online payment. A new Online Request Form will need to be submitted to obtain a new payment link). Please note: online payment is collected through a third-party agency and may incur a service charge, which is not regulated nor determined by the Court Reporting Services Department, and may be non-refundable through the vendor agency.
Request for PDF Transcript and/or Printed Transcript: Payment for transcripts is arranged with the contracted vendor assigned to your request. An e-mail will be sent to you from the contracted vendor assigned to your request order* with an estimate along with instructions on how to submit a payment. The request will be closed if a deposit has not been received within thirty (30) days from when the estimate is provided. *You may call our office to verify vendor status, or search online via the JAC website.
For Public Records Request Review Fees: Payment for public records review fees must be must be in the form of a cashier's check or money order.
What is a public records request? Are there additional fees?
If you are not listed in the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's docketing system as an attorney or a party to the case, the request will be processed as a public record request in accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420. Accordingly, a review of the transcript and/or copy of the digital recording for must be undertaken by the Circuit's Office of General Counsel prior to its release pursuant to a public records request. This procedure is in accordance with Florida Supreme Court Administrative Order 2011-22 to ensure that no exempt, confidential or non-public matter is released.
An additional review fee will be charged for such requests as set forth in AO 2.503 Exhibit 'A'.
For criminal case types with co-defendants: if you submit a request and the client you represent is not the case style (name) or case number being requested, and the case was not heard simultaneously with another co-defendant, the request will be processed as a public record request.
Can I order a copy of the digital recording or transcript of just certain portion of a proceeding? Will the fee be less?
Yes, you may request only a certain portion of a proceeding. The product fee would remain the same for Digital Download and CD/DVD requests, as it is priced per product. However, the transcript fee may be less due to the cost being at a per-page rate.
If you are only looking for a portion of a selected hearing (i.e. trial closing arguments, specific witness' testimony), you can manually type in the Notes/Comments section of the Request Form the specific portion you are seeking. Note: The online request form may have the option to select individual parties/witnesses, which auto-populate based on the Clerk's docketing system for the entire case, it is NOT correlated to the hearing date itself. If you are unsure of when the portion you are looking for took place, please refer to the Clerk's website or call the Clerk's office at (561) 355-2996 for additional assistance.
I was in a room with signage posted that proceedings were recorded, and there were cameras in the room. Does that mean the hearing was digitally recorded?
No. If the proceedings were required to be recorded at public expense, then our office should have the digital recording of the proceeding. However, many courtrooms and hearing rooms may have CCTV cameras, which are not related to nor connected to recording software used by the Court Reporting Services Department.
How can I obtain a transcript of a proceeding which a private court reporter was present for?
The Court Reporting Services Department does not provide private court reporting services. If a private court reporter was present for a hearing that was not required to be recorded at public expense, you will need to contact that reporter or agency for further information. An appearance form may have been filed in the Clerk's case file by the private court reporter, which may be available through the Clerk's website.
How long does the Court Reporting Department retain digital recordings?
Electronic records of proceedings are retained according to Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin 2.430(e).
Can product(s) be sent to me by mail?
Yes, but only if you supply a pre-addressed and prepaid mailing envelope or prepaid shipping label from a mailing service of your choice (FedEx, UPS, USPS, other delivery service agency, etc.).
The pre-addressed, prepaid mailing envelope or prepaid label must match the online request details to include:
- The requestors/requesting agency name as the addressee
- The address as listed on your online request
- If applicable, an account number with the delivery service agency
It is recommended that the shipping address and origin/return address are the same so if there is a delivery issue, the product(s) will "return" to the requestor directly, and not back to the Court Reporting Services Department. It is also recommended that your label has a tracking number and is insured. *Note: The State of Florida/Fifteenth Judicial Circuit/Court Reporting Services Department is not liable for any product(s) that are lost or misplaced, insufficiently delivered, or damaged in transit. Thus, if this occurs with product(s) during the course of delivery, the State/Circuit/CRS Department is not responsible for replacing the product(s) and the requestor must then incur the fee(s) for production if the product(s) were to be requested again. Additionally, the Court Reporting Services Department is not responsible for any delays for product(s) sent via mail, private courier service, and/or shipping carriers.
Can an order be picked up by someone other than myself?
Only the requestor or another person from the same agency as the requestor may pick up the requested product(s). If a certified courier will be picking up a product on your behalf, our Department must be notified beforehand in writing (e-mail) and provided the first name and last name of the courier, as well as the courier service agency name. Additionally, photo identification must be provided at the time of pick-up.
