Two companies will be hired to transcribe court records on an expedited schedule in a pilot program in selected courts, according to a Supreme Court order.   

Transcripts will be required to be filed within 30 days of a notice of appeal under the pilot, which will collect 20 cases for expedited transcript preparation, four each from courts in Hamilton, Lake, Madison, Tippecanoe and Vanderburgh counties.

An equal number of transcripts will be prepared by two companies named in the order, AVTRANZ, based in Phoenix, and New Jersey-based eScribers. The order spells out the procedure for how judges or court administrators in those counties may identify the cases. Cases selected for participation in the pilot will require service to the parties.

The pilot joins another pilot initiated in August in which video cameras and recording equipment were installed in three Indiana courtrooms where the audio/video record will form the official court transcript on appeal in a total of 45 cases.

According to the Supreme Court order on using professional transcription experts on appeal, appellant briefs will be filed no later than 45 days after notice of completion of transcript. Appellees then will have a like time to file responses.

The pilot program will run through at least through 2013, according to the order.