FLORIDA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATION

JUDICIAL CANDIDATE INTERVIEW PRO BONO PROGRAM

May 12, 2009

Judicial Nominating Commission Chairpersons State Of Florida

RE: Pro Bono Court Reporting of Judicial Candidate Interviews

The Florida Court Reporters Association is pleased to announce its new program, the pro bono reporting of judicial candidate interviews reported by FCRA member firms.

This program is being offered to Judicial Nominating Commissions in the State Of Florida on an entirely pro bono basis. While your participation in this program is voluntary, think of the benefit of having a verbatim record created by an experienced FCRA professional, at entirely no cost.

Under the leadership of FCRA president Jennifer Gaul, our organization is demonstrating through this pro bono program its desire to meet the most noble of goals within a free society, that of civic participation in our judicial process.

Our goal is further to create a verbatim record, which will give even more credibility and decorum to such important proceedings as judicial candidate interviews. FCRA will do this on an entirely pro bono basis. We will be more than proud to fulfill our civics commitment as citizens.

To avail your committee of this unique opportunity, please refer to the enclosed program guidelines and list of participating FCRA firms.

Should you have any questions, or simply wish to comment, please contact Michael H. Greenhill, FPR, Pro Bono chairperson, FCRA at 561 833-7811.

Yours In Service,

Michael H. Greenhill FPR FCRA Pro Bono Chairperson

cc: The Hon. William A. Van Nortwick, Jf.

Sheila M. Meehan, Pro Bono Director John G. White, Esq., Florida Bar John F. Harkness, Florida Bar

Florida Bar News & Journal FCRA Pro Bono participating firms

PRO BONO PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Once a judicial candidate interview date has been established, the JNC chair will place a call to the FCRA firm responsible for reporting interviews within that circuit.

The FCRA firm responsible for its circuit will then assign a court stenographer to report the judicial candidate interviews on a pro bono basis.

Initial remarks by the chair and declarations of conflict outside the presence of the public may be reported stenographically at the pleasure of the chair. Judicial candidate interviews will be reported stenographically. Judicial candidates will not be placed under oath by the reporter.

At the conclusion of the proceedings the court reporter will label hislher disk or card with the appertaining circuit number, date on which proceedings were held, JNC chairperson's name, and reporter's name and contact information.

Upon conclusion of proceedings the reporter's disk or card will be released to the JNC chairperson, who will now have custody and control of such disk/card and assume responsibility for its safekeeping, along with any other interview materials deemed relevant by the chair, unless other arrangements are made on the record.

Proceedings will only be transcribed at the request of the committee chair, upon consultation with the committee, and only when the matter to be transcribed is deemed to be of sufficient import and controversy where a record is needed for such purposes.

No individual candidate may request a transcript of his or her interview, unless it meets the criteria established above.

No transcript of proceedings will be provided to the media, unless it meets the criteria established above. Further, in the event of a transcript request, and after the above criteria is followed, the reporter will first provide transcript to committee chair, who will then be responsible for the appropriate release of such transcript.

Committee deliberations, which are not open to the public, will not be reported. Final individual members' declarations of conflict or post-interview further declarations, or pertinent remarks by individual members, will be reported at the pleasure ofthe chair.

The reporter will not be present during committee deliberations.

No gifts, lunches, or otherwise financial consideration shall be given to the reporter for his or her pro bono contribution for the particular day when services are rendered.

The reporter shall at all times be bound by section 2.070 (f) ofthe Florida Rules Of Court.

The Florida Bar News