383rd District Court - Certified Court Reporter

High School diploma or GED; attendance of or graduation from a Court Reporting College or Court Reporting School for training in the use of shorthand, machine shorthand or oral stenography to create a verbatim record of oral testimony.

Preferred: Associates Degree in Applied Science for Court and Conference reporting, and/or at least two (2) years’ experience as a full-time Certified Court Reporter as defined by statute.

Currently Certified Shorthand Reporter as defined by Section 154.101 of the Texas Government Code and recognized by the Supreme Court of Texas

Must meet continuing education requirements to retain licensure(s) – Texas (every 2 years)

Attends all sessions of the court.

Takes full shorthand notes of oral testimony requested to be on the record offered before the court, including objections made to the admissibility of evidence, court rulings and remarks on the objections, and exceptions to the rulings.

Read portions of shorthand notes to resolve disputes of testimony, argument, or matters of law upon request of the trial court.

Files all exhibits or necessary documents with the clerk of the court.

Preserves all shorthand notes for future reference, as per statutory guidelines.

Furnishes a verbatim transcript, as per statutory guidelines, of the reported evidence, including necessary exhibits or documents, or other proceedings, in whole or in part, utilizing his/her expertise of one of the following means:

Certifies the accuracy of the verbatim transcript produced, as per statutory guidelines.

Meets deadlines as set forth by law;

Follows all guidelines and court room procedures;

Ensures the integrity of the record is never compromised;

Maintains and keeps court reporting equipment and software up to date;

References necessary resource material, as needed;

Compiles statistical information, reports and data;

Assists the public with inquiries;

May assist in the development and improvement of department procedures;

Attends and participates in meetings, training and information sessions;

Stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field;

Performs other related duties as directed by the court, including helping answer the telephone, give court settings, assists during voir dire and jury trials; anything other court personnel might need assistance with;

Substitutes, if assigned, for court staff during temporary absences by performing delegated duties sufficient to maintain continuity of normal operations;

Performs such other related duties as may be assigned.

As members of the County of El Paso Emergency Response System, all El Paso County employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers during a proclaimed emergency and may be required to train on emergency response and/or perform certain emergency services at the direction of their supervisor.

The Certified Court Reporter is recognized by the State of Texas and works under limited supervision within statutory guidelines who is a Sworn Officer of the court who attends all sessions of the court and takes full shorthand notes of all proceedings of said sessions, preserving the shorthand notes until requested to produce a verbatim transcript of the same, to include exhibits admitted.

Reports to: Judge

Directs: this is a non-supervisory position

Other: Has frequent contact with other courts and staff, attorneys, paralegals, psychiatrists, social workers, medical and mental health treatment providers, agencies within the State of Texas, jurors, law enforcement and corrections officers, probation officers, the general public and other county employees

Knowledge of: Appellate Court rules; state rules, regulations, policies and statutes governing court reporters in the State of Texas; Courtroom procedures dealing with all aspects of court reporting; legal terminology; medical terminology; the principles and practices of effective customer service; principles and practices training; English usage, grammar, punctuation and spelling; techniques for effective interpersonal communications; modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment to include Windows and Microsoft based products. Skill/Ability to: use reference books; perform Court reporting; obtain certification by the State of Texas; use all equipment related to court reporting; have good hearing and visual acuity, and manual dexterity; be able to plan and execute work both independently and as a team member; display an ability to prioritize and manage several tasks; display a high degree of self-motivation; time management; work expeditiously and accurately under pressure; able to deal with the public and defendants; operate personal computer using standard office operating software and general office equipment; prepare and maintain records; maintain filing systems; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; be dependable; to deal with the public courteously and effectively; work under stressful conditions, and establish and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with those contacted during the course of work; Pass a Criminal Background Check;

Each and every county position requires the following professional skills and abilities as key and

necessary elements of performance:

El Paso County offers a very comprehensive benefit package (some benefits may not apply to part time or temporary employees) consisting of the following:

HOLIDAYS
16 holidays per year as recognized.


VACATION
Accruals are credited on a biweekly basis and available for use as it is accrued after 6 months of continuous service. Year to year carry-over accruals are limited to twice the employee's annual rate. Part-time employees accrue vacation at half the rate of full-time employees.
10 days (1 through less than 5 years of service)
15 days (5 through less than 15 years of service)
20 days (15 years of service or over)


SICK LEAVE
Accruals are credited on a biweekly basis and available for use as it is accrued after 3 months of full time service. Employees accrue 15 days of sick leave per year.


MISCELLANEOUS PAID LEAVES
Military Leave – 15 days of paid leave per fiscal year for active military service
Bereavement Leave – 3 days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family members and 4 hours for other family members and friends.


MEDICAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Plan Costs – Biweekly Rates

Effective January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

Medical
Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP)
No Discounts
EE Only $5.34
EE & Spouse $145.30
EE & Children $101.93
EE & Family $238.07

2% Tobacco-Free Discount
EE Only - $5.24
EE & Spouse - $142.39
EE & Children - $99.89
EE & Family - $233.31

4% Wellness Screening & HRA Discount
EE Only - $5.14
EE & Spouse - $139.49
EE & Children - $97.85
EE & Family - $228.55

6% Tobacco-Free AND Wellness Screening & HRA Discount
EE Only - $5.04
EE & Spouse - $136.58
EE & Children - $95.81
EE & Family - $223.79

Core Plan
No Discounts
EE Only - $35.70
EE & Spouse - $226.41
EE & Children - $174.96
EE & Family - $358.61

2% Tobacco-Free Discount
EE Only - $34.98
EE & Spouse - $221.88
EE & Children - $171.46
EE & Family - $351.44

4% Wellness Screening & HRA Discount
EE Only - $34.26
EE & Spouse - $217.35
EE & Children -$167.96
EE & Family - $344.27

6% Tobacco-Free AND Wellness Screening & HRA Discount
EE Only - $33.56
EE & Spouse - $212.83
EE & Children - $164.46
EE & Family - $337.09

RETIREMENT
Retirement benefits are provided by the Texas County and District Retirement Fund (TCDRS). Regular employees become a member of TCDRS upon hire. All regular employees are required to contribute 7% to the retirement fund and the County matches 250% upon eligible retirements.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION
Employees may defer earnings, on a pre-tax basis, into a 457 deferred compensation program. This is an optional program.

LIFE INSURANCE
Full-time County employees are provided a basic life insurance benefit of $10,000 life insurance at no cost. Supplemental coverage is available for additional fees.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY
The Long-Term disability program provides 60% of the employees' income when the employee becomes disabled because of an illness, injury or accident for a period above 90 days.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY
The Short-Term disability program provides 60% of the employees' income when the employee becomes disabled because of an illness, injury or accident for a period shorter than 90 days.

RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE
Employees who retire from the County are eligible to continue Health Insurance at the rate set by the El Paso County Risk Pool Board.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Employees are enrolled in an Employee Assistance Program that provides a variety of counseling services.

SECTION 125 MEDICAL & DEPENDENT CARE PROGRAM
The section 125 program is optional for employees and provides a method to pay medical and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REIMBURSEMENT
Reimbursement of $15 per month for 6 months of continuous gym usage.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EdAP)
Reimbursement up to $2000 per calendar year for eligible education expenses.

EMPLOYEE FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTER
The Employee Fitness and Wellness Center opened in October 2021 at the County Courthouse. The cost is $5 per employee per month.