Rule 36 Clerical Error

This rule lets a judge fix small mistakes in court paperwork, like typos or clerical slip-ups in a judgment or order. These are honest mistakes, not decisions about guilt or sentencing. The judge can make these fixes at any time, and can give notice to people involved if needed.

The rule treats transcripts differently. A judge cannot change a transcript unless both the prosecutor and the defendant's lawyer are told about it first. This protects the accuracy of the official record of what happened in court.

If a transcript does get changed, the record has to show exactly what was corrected or removed. This way, anyone looking at the transcript later can see what the original version said and what was fixed. It keeps the process honest and easy to track.