Rule 80.Stenographic Transcript as Evidence
Last amended December 1, 2007 · Last verified June 30, 2026
Full Text of Rule 80
Amendment History
(Amended December 27, 1946, effective March 19, 1948; April 30, 2007, effective December 1, 2007.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 80 supplies a simple method of proof for a recurring situation: testimony from one proceeding that becomes relevant in another. When the testimony at a trial or hearing was stenographically reported, and that testimony is admissible in a later proceeding, a transcript of it certified by the person who reported it may be used to prove the testimony.
The rule does not decide whether the earlier testimony is admissible — that depends on the rules of evidence, such as the rules on former testimony. It addresses only the mechanics: once the testimony is admissible, the certified transcript is an accepted way to put it before the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is testimony from an earlier proceeding proved?
By a transcript certified by the reporter, when the prior testimony is itself admissible in the later proceeding (Rule 80).
Does Rule 80 decide whether the earlier testimony can be used at all?
No. Rule 80 only supplies the method of proof once the earlier testimony is admissible; whether it's admissible in the first place is a question for the rules of evidence, not this rule.