Record of juvenile court proceedings

(A) A recording of all juvenile court proceedings shall be kept by stenographic reporting, by mechanical or electronic device, or by some combination thereof, for the purpose of the creation of an official record of the proceedings, except that a recording in a child-support proceeding (designated as a "CS" case) is not required but is permissible by order of the juvenile court. The audio or stenographic recording shall be preserved until the time for taking an appeal has expired and shall not be released except for the following purposes: (1) In the event of an appeal. (2) Upon written order of the juvenile court judge, which shall include a specific finding that good cause exists for the creation and release of a transcript of the proceedings. (B) Transcription of the record of juvenile court proceedings shall be by a person designated by the juvenile court judge. The transcript shall be certified as directed by the juvenile court or as required by the Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure. (C) In the event of an appeal pursuant to Rule 28(A)(1) in a case in which the juvenile court proceedings have been recorded by mechanical or electronic devices, the juvenile court judge may request the assistance of the presiding circuit court judge in determining the appropriate person to transcribe the record for purposes of providing a certified record on appeal. (D) The person designated to transcribe the juvenile court proceedings shall be entitled to be paid the transcript fees provided in Rule 29, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration. [Amended eff. 3-1-82; Amended eff. 11-15-85; Amended eff. 5-1-94; amended eff. 7-1- 98; Amended eff. 6-22-2007; Amended eff. 1-9-2009; Amended 7-14-2011, eff. 10-12011; Amended 5-1-2014, eff. 7-1-2014.] Comment This rule provides for the use of electronic devices for recording testimony in any hearings in the juvenile court. This rule should facilitate appeals in that a substantially complete record may be provided in each case. It is expected that a record made in a juvenile court case by any of the methods prescribed in subsection (A) of this rule will be as adequate and as substantially complete as a record made in a case tried in the circuit court. Multiple certifications of the record, possibly including a certification of the trial judge, may be necessary in cases in which the person or persons preparing the transcript are not those who actually monitored the electronic recording equipment, and subsection (B) of this rule should be construed as authorizing such certifications. For analogous procedures regarding the use of electronic recording equipment and certification of the correctness of the transcript in cases in which such equipment is used, see Rule 14(a), Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure. [Comment amended eff. 5-1-94.] Comment to Amendment to Rule 20 Effective June 22, 2007