WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

ENGROSSED

House Bill 3274

By Delegates Akers, Leavitt, Flanigan, Funkhouser, and Kelly

[Introduced March 10, 2025; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §51-7-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to reports of circuit court proceedings; and authorizing circuit courts to appoint court reporters or use electronic means approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 7. OFFICIAL REPORTERS.

§51-7-1. Appointment; oath; attendance at grand jury sessions.

The circuit courts of the several judicial circuits in this state, or the judges thereof in vacation, or the judges of any intermediate, criminal or common pleas court, are hereby empowered and authorized to appoint competent shorthand court reporters, or use electronic means approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals, to take and report, under such regulations as such judges, or any of them, may prescribe, the proceedings had and the testimony given in any case, either civil or criminal, or in any other proceeding had in such court, including the taking of testimony before the grand jury of such court for the use of the prosecuting attorney of the county, and in proceedings before the judge of such court in vacation, and otherwise to aid the judge in the performance of his or her official duties.

The appointment of such reporter may be made by the judge of such court by an order entered of record, and the reporter so appointed shall be designated the "official reporter" of the court for which he or she shall be appointed.

Such reporter, when appointed, shall be qualified under oath, and shall be authorized to attend the sessions of the grand jury, but shall retire from such session when directed by the foreman, or a majority of the grand jury, or when ordered to do so by the court, and when the grand jury desires to consult or vote upon any matters before them.