Terms Used In Alabama Code 12-22-197

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

If it appears to the trial court, after full investigation, that the defendant or petitioner is without sufficient funds, and has no reasonable way to procure same, to pay the court reporter all of his lawful fee for transcribing the evidence and other proceedings had at the trial or the fees of the clerk incident to an appeal or that the defendant or petitioner has reasonably available to him only enough funds to pay a part of such fees, he shall make and enter an order requiring the court reporter to transcribe all or such parts of evidence of the proceedings occurring at the trial that may be necessary to afford the appellate court a record of sufficient completeness for review and shall order the clerk to prepare the record on appeal. The trial court shall, at said time, make and enter an order authorizing the payment of a sum certain to the court reporter of all or a part of his estimated fees, calculated at the rate provided by law, upon the completion and delivery of a transcript and three carbon copies thereof, duly certified and filed with the clerk, one of said carbon copies to be delivered by the clerk to the defendant or petitioner. The court shall also at said time make and enter an order authorizing the payment of a sum certain to the clerk of all or a part of his estimated fees incident to the appeal. Such order shall not be made unless and until the defendant or petitioner has paid to the court reporter and to the clerk that part of the amount due the court reporter and the clerk which the court has found must be borne by the defendant or petitioner, and the defendant or petitioner shall furnish to the court satisfactory evidence of such payment. The trial court shall cause a certified copy of such order to be delivered to the court reporter and to the clerk; and, upon the filing of said transcript and three carbon copies thereof by the court reporter with the clerk of the trial court and the complete preparation of the record on appeal by the clerk, the clerk shall transmit such order to the state Comptroller, whereupon the state Comptroller shall cause to be paid to the court reporter and to the clerk out of the general funds in the State Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the amount of said fees.