An appellate court does not re-run the case. It reviews the record. When the record is missing the transcript, the reviewing court generally presumes the trial court acted correctly — meaning the absence of a transcript is not neutral, it is a loss.
Why this is where indigency bites hardest
The transcript is the single most expensive item in an appeal. An appellant found unable to pay who is nonetheless required to purchase one is, functionally, an appellant without an appeal.
The documented example
A Rule 607 motion for appellate indigency, counsel, and a free report of proceedings was file-stamped July 23, 2026. See the indigency paradox.