(a) Except as provided for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in Title 2,
Subtitle 5A of this article, the judges of the circuit court for a
county may employ the court administrators, assignment commissioners,
auditors, masters, examiners, court reporters, messengers, bailiffs,
court criers, librarians, clerks, secretaries, stenographers, jury
commissioners, law clerks, and other employees necessary to conduct the
business of the court.
(b) Each employee of the court shall receive the compensation provided in
the appropriate budget and perform the duties directed by the judge.
(c) (1) The resident judge in each county of the seventh judicial circuit shall
appoint one or more official court reporters for the circuit court in
the county. A reporter shall be competent to record court proceedings
and shall serve at the pleasure of the judge who appointed him. The
reporter shall receive the compensation set by the county government
after consultation with the county administrative judge.
(2) A court reporter shall be reimbursed for expenses as approved by the
court. Reimbursement shall be made by the county treasurer or similar
officer of the county in which the services were rendered as expenses
of the court upon presentation of a certificate from the clerk showing
the attendance and services of the reporter.
(3) If directed by the court, the reporter shall attend and take full
stenographic notes of, or otherwise record the oral testimony and
judicial opinions in all proceedings in the court.
(4) The court may direct the reporter to transcribe the notes of a
proceeding and the costs of transcription may be taxed as costs in the
case or paid as part of the general expenses of the court.
(5) On request by a party, a reporter shall furnish a typewritten
transcript of any portion of his notes, upon payment of the expenses
incident to the transcript at the rate fixed by the court.
(d) (1) The five counties comprising the second judicial circuit of Maryland
shall provide a pension to any court stenographer of the circuit who
has served in that capacity for 25 or more years.
(2) Each county shall share in a pro rata contribution to the pension in
the following proportions:
(i) Caroline County -- 20.5 percent;
(ii) Cecil County -- 15.6 percent;
(iii) Kent County -- 19.9 percent;
(iv) Queen Anne's County -- 19.9 percent; and
(v) Talbot County -- 24.1 percent.
(3) The county commissioners or county council for each of those counties
shall appropriate annually the necessary funds to pay its share of the
pension.
(4) The pension shall be $4,000 a year and shall be paid in monthly
installments of $333.33.
(e) (1) There shall be included in the State budget for the Judicial Branch an
appropriation to the Administrative Office of the Courts in the amount
necessary to pay salaries and benefits of standing circuit court
masters.
(2) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall:
(i) Identify the standing circuit court masters; and
(ii) Develop a personnel management plan and funding plan to implement this
subsection.
(3) A standing master of a circuit court or a judicial circuit shall report
to and perform the duties and assignments determined by the judges of
the respective circuit court or circuit, in accordance with the
statewide policy on masters.
(4) The Court of Appeals may adopt rules concerning the master positions
described in this subsection.
(5) (i) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, circuit court masters
identified under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall remain county
or Baltimore City employees and shall not be State employees.
(ii) A circuit court master identified under paragraph (2) of this
subsection may elect to become a State employee between January 1,
2002, and March 31, 2002, both inclusive.
(iii) A circuit court master who elects under this subsection to become a
State employee shall become a State employee on July 1, 2002.
(iv) A standing circuit court master hired on or after July 1, 2002, shall
be a State employee.
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