R Drive: Procedures and Indexing
On the R Drive, please index all matters conducted on the record. If you have a high volume court, please link and scan your docket sheets. The most important fact is that you index everything you report. It is required under the Court Operating Rules. It is highly recommended that you back up your notes and index as often as you can, but it’s mandatory that reporters be current within three months of each hearing.
Court Operating Rule 19.03 DUTIES OF OFFICIAL COURT REPORTERS
(e) For court reporters using paperless machines or those
using electronic storage:
(1)
Within three months of each hearing, the court reporter shall deposit on the statewide electronic repository identified by the Office of State Courts Administrator (referred to as the repository) an electronic copy of all hearings. This is to include raw notes and audio, from either a stenographic record or a voice writer recording. Completed transcripts may also be stored on this repository.
(2) The court reporter shall file an electronic log within three months of the
hearings recorded. The log shall at a minimum include the date of the hearing, case number, style of the case and indicate whether or not a transcript has been prepared. Additional information may be included.
(3) By July 1 of each year, each reporter shall file a copy of the reporter's
dictionary on this
repository.
Attached are the procedures for the R Drive. Management of files can be determined by the user but it is strongly recommended that reporters create a file for each calendar year and place, at a minimum, all raw notes and audio backups in the calendar year file.
• The Office of State Courts Administrator has provided a Network repository to secure the
necessary materials for the indexing and storage of electronic and digital
court reporter files. This is called the "R: Drive."
• Section 485.050 RSMo, provides: “It shall be the duty of the official court reporter under the direction of the judge to preserve all official notes taken in said court for future use or reference.”
• Is is the responsibility of the official court reporter of each division in the manner hereinafter set out to properly index and store his or her court reporter notes for future use or reference.
A chronological index should be maintained by each reporter by either: Use of an index sheet listing for each day, for each case reported, the following: Number and style of the case; or by scanning and attaching as their index the docket sheet indicating cases heard on the record that day.
• Realtime files or completed transcripts may be stored on the Network repository.
• Each reporter should file electronic or digital files of stenographic notes, stenomask audio files and backup audio on the Network storage repository.
• Electronic stenographic notes should be read directly from the stenographic machine used, not having been read or translated into any software program.
• Digital stenomask audio files should be taken directly from the digital recorder used, not having been read or translated into any software program.
• On July 1 of each year, a new copy of the reporter’s personal dictionary should be filed in the reporter’s folder on the Network repository for that calendar year.
• Within five business days of the date that a reporter hired to cover the proceedings of court in the absence of the official reporter, the division reporter should obtain from the hired reporter their note and audio files for storage on the Network repository.
• The division reporter should index proceedings reported by a hired reporter and should note the name/CCR number of the hired reporter in the log sheet.
• Upon the death of a reporter, the judge should ensure all of the
deceased reporter’s stenographic electronic notes or stenomask electronic audio
files, and backup audio, are properly stored on the Network repository (R: Drive).
• Electronic or digital files containing the official notes of the courtroom proceedings taken by any retired, terminated, or deceased reporter should be retained as set forth under the supervision of the current reporter in that division and/or the judge of that division.
R Drive Access for Retired, Former, Deceased or Incapacitated Court Reporters
How to Add an "R: Drive" Icon to Your Desktop:
1. Minimize or close all open windows so you are looking at your desktop.
2. Open Internet Explorer and go to the R drive with this link: https://files.courts.mo.gov/login (you may have to copy and paste the web address) The R drive log in page should open.
3. Partially minimize the web page you just opened so you can see part of your desktop.
4. At the web page you will see a little icon in the web address, immediately left of the "https."
5. Drag the little icon to an empty space on your desktop and release it. Another web page will open to that site, but at the same time you have created a shortcut to that web page.
6. Close all the web pages, then go back to your desktop and double click on the icon you just placed there. The R drive log in page should open.
You now have an icon on your desktop linking you directly to the R drive log in page.