(a) Except as provided for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in Subtitle 5A of this title, the judges of the circuit court for a county may employ the court administrators, assignment commissioners, auditors, magistrates, 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) (1) Each employee of a circuit court is entitled to compensation as provided in the appropriate budget and shall perform the duties that the judge directs.
(2) (i) If a court reporter ordered under § 2–503 of this subtitle to take testimony before a grand jury serves in more than one county, the counties where the reporter serves shall apportion the compensation under this subsection as the county administrative judges agree.
(ii) The Montgomery County Council shall pay the compensation of a court reporter taking or transcribing grand jury testimony in the county.
(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 magistrates.
(2) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall:
(i) Identify the standing circuit court magistrates; and
(ii) Develop a personnel management plan and funding plan to implement this subsection.
(3) A standing magistrate 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 magistrates.
(4) The Supreme Court of Maryland may adopt rules concerning the magistrate positions described in this subsection.
(5) (i) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, circuit court magistrates identified under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall remain county or Baltimore City employees and shall not be State employees.
(ii) A circuit court magistrate 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 magistrate who elects under this subsection to become a State employee shall become a State employee on July 1, 2002.
(iv) A standing circuit court magistrate hired on or after July 1, 2002, shall be a State employee.