Rule R.J.A.4008 - Transcript Costs(A) Costs (1) The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript in an electronic format shall be: (a) for an ordinary transcript, $2.25 per page;(b) for an expedited transcript*, $3.00 per page;(c) for a daily transcript*, $4.00 per page; and(d) for same day delivery*, $6.00 per page. 2(2) When the requesting party is the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, the cost for a transcript in an electronic format shall be $1.25 per page.(3) When the transcript is prepared in bound paper format, the costs shall be in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) relating to electronic format plus a surcharge of $0.25 per page. (B) Economic Hardship Standards (1) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be waived for a litigant who has been permitted by the court to proceed in forma pauperis or whose income is less than 125 percent of the poverty line as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for the current year.(2) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be reduced by 50 percent for a litigant whose income is less than 200 percent of the poverty line as defined by the HHS poverty guidelines for the current year.(3) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters that are not subject to an appeal, where the transcript is not necessary to advance the litigation, or for expedited, daily, rough draft or same day transcripts may be waived at the court's discretion for parties who qualify for economic hardship under subdivision (B)(1) or (B)(2) and upon good cause shown(4) The application to waive all or a portion of the costs for a transcript shall be in the form of a Petition to Waive All or a Portion of the Transcript Costs and shall be filed in the appropriate filing office - the Potter County Prothonotary's Office, Clerk of Courts' Office, or Clerk of Orphans' Court Office - and shall be delivered to the Potter County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts' Office. Any application for waiver or reduction of transcript costs shall be filed contemporaneously with the request for transcript and a copy served to: (1) the judge presiding over the matter;(2) the court reporter, court recorder or transcriptionist;(3) the Senior Court Reporter; and(4) opposing counsel, but if not represented, the opposing party.(5) The Petition to Waive All or a Portion of the Transcript Costs for ordinary transcripts shall be supported by an affidavit substantially in the form required by Rule 240(h) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. A blank Petition to Waive All or a Portion of the Transcript Costs and affidavit in this form may be obtained from the Potter County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts' Office.(6) Litigants who have been approved for representation by legal aid services are not required to prove economic hardship. Legal aid clients shall be entitled to obtain ordinary transcripts for no cost. Legal aid services must provide a letter of certification verifying that the client meets financial eligibility for legal aid services and that the matter is under appeal or that the transcript being requested is necessary to advance the litigation and the letter must be filed with the Transcript Request Form. (C) Assignment and Allocation of Transcript Costs(1)Assignment of costs. The requesting party, or party required by general rule to file a transcript, shall be responsible for the cost of the transcript. Costs shall not be assessed against any party for transcripts prepared at the initiation of the Court.(2)Allocation of costs. When more than one party requests the transcript, or are required by general rule to file the transcript, the cost shall be divided equally among the parties.(D) Request for Transcript Copies A request for copies of a transcript previously ordered, transcribed, and filed of record shall be made to the appropriate filing office and the cost shall be at that Office's standard rate, not to exceed $0.75 per page.
(E) Additional Costs A trial judge may impose a reasonable surcharge in cases such as mass tort, medical malpractice or other unusually complex litigation, where there is a need for court reporters to significantly expand their dictionary. Such surcharges are at the discretion of the trial judge.
* The availability of expedited, daily, and same day delivery transcripts shall be at the discretion of the Court and the court reporter based upon the court reporter's schedule and obligations.
Pot. Cnty. Pa. R.J.A.4008
Amended effective 4/18/2019.