Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 606-12 (2026)

Duties of official court

✓ current as of July 2026

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§606-12 Duties of official court reporters. [(a)] The duties of each official court reporter shall be to attend sessions of the court and take verbatim notes of all oral proceedings before the court, including the testimony of witnesses, objections of counsel, offers of proof, arguments of counsel, rulings of the court, charge to the jury, verdict of the jury, and any other matter which the court may require the official court reporter to report. The official court reporter may be called upon at any time during a hearing, by any party to the same, or by the court, to read aloud any portion of the official court reporter's notes taken by the official court reporter. The official court reporter may be referred to at any time by the clerk of the court for the exact language of any orders from the bench. In any hearing of probate of will or administration matter, the judge, in the judge's discretion, may order the official court reporter to supply and file, without charge and within a reasonable time, a certified statement of such testimony as relates to the names, ages, and genealogies of heirs. Other appropriate duties for the official court reporters to perform may be prescribed by rule of court.

[(b)] Each official court reporter shall file the official court reporter's notes with the clerk of the court and when requested by any party to a cause and so directed by the court or by the court of its own motion, within a reasonable time thereafter as the court may designate, shall furnish a certified transcript of the official court reporter's notes, or any portion thereof, taken in the cause, upon the payment of the fee fixed in section 606-13. The official court reporter may furnish a transcript of any of the official court reporter's notes, where the same is not intended for the purposes of appeal, upon the request of any party, without the order of the judge therefore first obtained.

[(c)] In an ex parte or uncontested case, if there is no official court reporter in attendance, the court may direct the clerk to take notes of the oral evidence adduced, or the judge may personally take notes or may cause the oral evidence to be preserved on tape or by another mechanical device. [L 1915, c 88, §2; RL 1925, §2300; RL 1935, §3699; RL 1945, §9732; RL 1955, §218-12; am L 1959, c 110, §3; HRS §606-12; am L 1972, c 88, §4(i), (j); gen ch 1985; am L 1996, c 226, §2; am L 2004, c 202, §60; am L 2006, c 94, §1; am L 2010, c 109, §1]

Rules of Court

Generally, see Rules Governing Court Reporting.

Recording of testimony and proceedings, see RCC rule 25.1; RDC rule 25.1.

Transcript as evidence, see HRCP rule 80; order for transcript of evidence, see RCC rule 25 and RDC rule 25.

Case Notes

"Any party" in the provision that the reporter may furnish a transcript where it is not intended for appeal upon the request of any party construed. 59 H. 237, 580 P.2d 58 (1978).

Court reporter's notes as public record, public's right of access to such records. 59 H. 237, 580 P.2d 58 (1978).

Section does not preclude recording of a closing argument. 67 H. 231, 683 P.2d 1217 (1984).

Trial court must order that the closing argument be recorded when a party makes a timely request to do so. 71 H. 347, 791 P.2d 392 (1990).

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 8 cases, 1978–2002 · leading case: State v. Quitog, 938 P.2d 559 (Haw. 1997).

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State v. Quitog, 938 P.2d 559 (Haw. 1997). · cites it 6× “2d 392, 397 ("Although HRS § 606-12 does not require the recording of argument, we now hold that where a party makes a timely request, the trial court must order that closing argument be recorded.”

State v. Entrekin, 47 P.3d 336 (Haw. 2002). · cites it 2× “2d 58, 61 (1978) (construing the phrase “any party,” as it appeal's in HRS § 606-12, which, at the time, authorized court reporters to “furnish a transcript of any of his [or her] notes .”

State v. Moriwaki, 791 P.2d 392 (Haw. 1990). · cites it 4× “HRS § 606-12 provides in pertinent part as follows: Duties of reporters.”

Honolulu Advertiser, Inc. v. Takao, 580 P.2d 58 (Haw. 1978). · cites it 2× “*239 HRS § 606-12 provides that the court reporter “may furnish a transcript of any of his notes, where the same is not intended for purposes of appeal to the Supreme Court, upon the request of any party, without the order of the judge therefor first obtained.”

State v. Molitoni, 711 P.2d 1303 (Haw. App. 1985). · cites it 4× “1 Pursuant to HRS § 606-12 (1976), court reporters customarily do not make shorthand notes of the closing arguments unless so directed by the trial judge.”

State v. Melear, 630 P.2d 619 (Haw. 1981). · cites it 2× “See HRS § 606-12. In addition, appellant’s counsel did not object to the improper statements of the prosecutor until all arguments had been completed.”

State v. Prince, 683 P.2d 1217 (Haw. 1984). · cites it 5× “Appellant contends that HRS § 606-12 3 denies him the right to fair appellate review of his trial because it does not require the recording of the closing arguments of counsel.”

Aga v. Hundahl, 901 P.2d 1270 (Haw. 1995). “Each reporter shall receive for his [or her] services as prescribed in section 606-12 the salary that may be appropriated from time to time as compensation for his [or her] services in court.”

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