Section 69995.

(a) In Ventura County, a majority of the judges of the superior court may appoint as many competent official phonographic reporters as the business of the superior court requires, and as required to provide court reporting service to the municipal court of the county as provided in subdivision (c). The court may additionally employ as many pro tempore phonographic reporters as may from time to time be required to supplement the services of the official court reporters. The court may further appoint one of the official court reporters to serve as senior superior court reporter to coordinate and supervise the activities of official and pro tempore court reporters.

Official reporters of the superior court shall be exempt from the provisions of any civil service system as employees of the court. They shall serve at the pleasure of a majority of the judges thereof, subject to such court rules and policy as may be adopted by the judges for regulation of superior court personnel. Official and pro tempore superior court reporters shall provide court reporting services for such departments of the superior court and divisions of the municipal court, for such criminal, juvenile and civil proceedings, and proceedings before the grand jury, as directed by the presiding judges of the respective courts, subject to the provisions of this section.

(b) The salary paid to official full-time superior court reporters for services in reporting any and all testimony and proceedings in the superior and municipal courts and before the grand jury, shall be a five-step salary range with biweekly amounts equivalent to ninety percent (90%) of the corresponding steps in the established salary range for official superior court reporters in Los Angeles County. The initial hiring rate for official superior court reporters shall be the first step of the salary range, and subsequent increases within the range shall be at intervals of six months from the first to second step, and one year between each succeeding step, as determined by the court, based on satisfactory performance. Nothing herein shall prohibit the initial appointment or subsequent elevation of a reporter's salary from the steps herein specified, as may be determined by the court on the basis of experience, qualifications and meritorious performance. The salary of the official court reporter who is appointed to serve as senior superior court reporter, shall be fixed at ten percent (10%) above the biweekly salary steps specified for official superior court reporters.

The salary range of official court reporters may be adjusted by joint action and approval of the board of supervisors and a majority of the judges of the superior court. Such changes in compensation made pursuant to this provision shall be on an interim basis and shall expire January 1 following adjournment of the next regular session of the Legislature unless ratified at such session.

The per diem compensation for pro tempore reporters serving the superior or municipal court or the grand jury shall be established at one-tenth (¹/₁₀) of the top step in the biweekly salary range established for official superior court reporters, for each day of service or any portion thereof.

Official reporters of the superior court shall be entitled to all benefits provided for the employees of the county, including, but not limited to, participation in county retirement plans, vacation, holiday and sick leave benefits, and insurance plans. These benefits shall also include the same lump-sum payments for benefit accrual balances upon separation from service, as are made to employees of the county. All other compensation, fees, and benefits for official and pro tempore superior court reporters shall be as elsewhere provided by law.

(c) Upon request of the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court of Ventura County, official and pro tempore reporters of the superior court shall act as pro tempore reporters in the municipal court in all proceedings of the municipal court where their services may be required. Official superior court reporters who are assigned to serve as pro tempore municipal court reporters under this provision, shall receive no additional compensation for such services, and pro tempore superior court reporters who are assigned to serve as pro tempore municipal court reporters shall not receive compensation in excess of one per diem fee for service in either or both of such courts on any single court day. Requests to provide the municipal court with the services of superior court reporters shall be directed to either the presiding judge or the executive officer of the superior court by either the presiding judge or the executive officer of the municipal court, and shall be effective only during the pleasure of the judges of both courts, a majority of the judges of each court concurring.

(Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 340.)