Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. The mandatory Code of Ethics defines the
ethical relationship the public, the bench, and the bar have a right to expect
from a certificate holder. It sets out the required conduct of the certificate
holder when dealing with the user of reporting services, and acquaints the
user, as well as the certificate holder, with guidelines established for
professional behavior.
B. A current
certificate holder shall:
1. be fair and
impartial toward each participant in all aspects of reported proceedings, treat
all parties equally, and always offer comparable services and prices to all
parties in a proceeding;
2. be
alert to situations that are conflicts of interest or that may give the
appearance of a conflict of interest. If a conflict or a potential conflict
arises, the Certificate Holder shall timely disclose said conflict or potential
conflict to all parties in the proceeding or take the action(s) necessary for
extraction from said conflict or potential conflict;
3. guard against not only the fact but the
appearance of impropriety;
4.
preserve the confidentiality and ensure the security of information, written,
entrusted to the Certificate Holder by any of the parties in a
proceeding;
5. be truthful and
accurate when making public statements or when advertising the Certificate
Holder's qualifications or the services provided;
6. refrain, as an official reporter, from
freelance reporting activities that interfere with official duties and
obligations;
7. determine fees
independently, except when established by statue or court order, entering into
no unlawful agreements with others, whether for services or charges;
8. deliver requested transcripts of testimony
timely to all parties on the same day. Delivery shall be by hand, if
reasonable, or by proper posting if hand delivery is not reasonable;
9. refrain from giving, directly or
indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward, or anything of value to attorneys,
clients, witnesses, insurance company personnel or any other persons or
entities associated with (the) litigation, or to the representatives or agents
of any of the foregoing, except for:
a. items
that do not exceed $100 in the aggregate per recipient each year; or
b. pro bono services as defined by the
National Court Reporters Association Guidelines for Professional Practice or by
applicable state and/or local laws, rule, and regulations;
10. abide by the applicable
nation/state/local laws and court rules and the rules promulgated by the
Louisiana Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters.
C. When a deposition is taken, an
original transcript must be produced by the reporter in a prompt manner and
delivered to the noticing attorney, in satisfaction of the attorney's duty to
serve as custodian of the records and in order to assure full compliance with
the reporter's statutory and ethical obligations.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with R. S. 37:2553(A), 37:2554 and
37:2557(A).
