Refusing to sign police reports during misdemeanor proceedings

To’s the short version of what happened: a buddy of mine was in municipal court, and after the arguments wrapped up, he signed the transcript of the main hearing. He asked for a copy of that record right then and there, but the judge shot him down, claiming his only right was to view the file in person at the courthouse clerk's office. Doesn't a defendant have a right to a copy of the transcript? In my own experience with various civil lawsuits, I’ve always been handed a copy of the record without any fuss, so it’s pretty baffling to me why a defendant wouldn't be entitled to one in a misdemeanor case. :/

Look, the transcript from the main hearing is just signed off and reviewed internally; it’s not actually handed over to the defendant right then and there.
(See Article 169, sections 2 and 3 of the US Misdemeanor Act.)
The actual judgment, though? That gets served. (Per Article 179, sections 1 and 6 of the US Misdemeanor Act.)

Aha, thanks. Quick question: is the defendant actually allowed to pick up a physical copy or a duplicate of the transcript directly from the clerk's office?