Opinion ID: 2499779
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Reporter Fees

Text: [¶ 22] The district court awarded $180.00 in court reporter fees, consisting of a $45.00 court reporter fee for appearance at a pretrial conference and a $135.00 fee for appearance at a three-day jury trial. Jones contends no fee should be permitted for the pretrial conference and that the fee for the jury trial should be limited to two days' worth, for a total of $90.00, because the trial only lasted two days. Jones cites to Rule 905 of the Uniform Rules for District Courts, which establishes the court reporter fee, to support his argument. [¶ 23] Rule 501 provides as follows concerning the allowance of court reporter fees as costs: The $45.00 fee is a taxable cost. Transcripts of proceedings, such as motion hearings, pretrial conferences, etc., prepared at the request of a party in anticipation of trial are not taxable as costs unless such matters become part of the record on appeal. Wyo. U.R.D.C. 501(a)(3)(C). The district court explained it basis for awarding the court reporter fees for the pretrial conference and three days of trial as follows: g. The pretrial conference reporter fees are appropriate, as there is no requirement that a party forego a court reporter in reliance on a court's order; h. The reporter fees for a three-day trial [are appropriate] on the grounds that trial was scheduled to last three days and a reporter must be reserved in advance of trial[.] [¶ 24] We find no abuse of discretion in the district court's findings and reasoning. The issues to be tried had not been limited to damages until the morning of trial, and nothing in the rule precludes a reporter fee for pretrial proceedings. The rule's only limitation is on the taxing of transcript costs. Rule 905 does not change this result as it does not define costs that are taxable but instead establishes the court reporter fees and what is covered by that fee. See Wyo. U.R.D.C. 905.