§ 8-5-3. Appointment of superior court reporters and electronic court reporters.

(a) The justices of the superior court, or a majority of them, shall appoint competent shorthand writers or stenotypists, known as court reporters, for regular service in the superior court, and one or more such persons for occasional service therein in the absence of other appointees, who shall be known as court reporters. They shall serve during the pleasure of the court and where designated by the presiding justice; provided, that when any justice of the court has retired from active service, and with his or her own consent on request of the presiding justice of the court is assigned to perform service as an associate justice of the court, one of the court reporters or electronic court reporters defined in subsection (b), appointed for occasional service shall, during the time any such justice is so assigned and performing service, be appointed for regular service in the court, and when performing such regular service, shall receive the same compensation authorized to be paid to court reporters or electronic court reporters appointed for regular service.

(b) The presiding justice shall have sole discretion to employ and assign persons to record court proceedings by electronic means as in his or her judgment may be necessary for the conduct of the business of the superior court. Such persons employed and assigned by the presiding justice shall be known as electronic court reporters.