No Court Reporter? Record the Hearing, California Supreme Court Rules
The ruling covers litigants who cannot afford a private reporter and could preserve appeal rights in thousands of civil hearings, justices said.
- On Monday, the California Supreme Court mandated that superior courts across the state's 58 counties must offer electronic recording in civil proceedings when a certified court reporter is unavailable, ensuring litigants can secure an official verbatim record.
- A persistent shortage of certified stenographers has led to more than 3 million proceedings occurring without written transcriptions since 2023, often forcing low-income litigants to proceed without an official record or delay their cases for months.
- Writing for the court, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero stated that failing to provide such records deprives litigants of "meaningful access to the judicial process", noting that hiring private reporters can cost more than $3,000 per hearing.
- Family Violence Appellate Project and other legal aid groups hailed the decision as a victory for vulnerable litigants, though the California Court Reporters Association warned that electronic recordings cannot replace the accuracy provided by certified professionals.
- Compliance with the ruling requires courts to adapt procedures, while attorney Scott Kronland suggested the decision should pressure systems to hire more certified staff, noting that newly licensed reporter numbers increased 900% from 2021 to 2025.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Palo Alto Online
No court reporter? Record the hearing, California Supreme Court rules
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In a blow to court reporter unions, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that courts must allow electronic recordings of hearings when a certified professional reporter is not available. The justices found that a California law forbidding electronic recordings in most cases unfairly […]
California Supreme Court expands electronic recordings to offset disputed court reporter shortage
The high court permitted wider use of automatic recordings for civil matters when a reporter is unavailable; proponents hail it as a victory for indigent litigants, but workers advocates warn of relying on cheaper technology.
Los Angeles Times
After more than a million cases without a transcript, California high court allows recording
California's Supreme Court ruled that proceedings in some civil cases can be electronically recorded in order to create transcripts, settling a dispute that has pitted attorneys for domestic violence victims and others against court reporters, who argue only humans can be trusted to do the work.
'No Discretion': California Supreme Court Orders Use of Electronic Case Recording for Indigent Litigants
The decision in Family Violence Appellate Project v. Superior Court is a major victory for three legal aid groups and attorneys from Covington & Burling who directly petitioned the California Supreme Court in 2024 to challenge the electronic recording ban.
California Supreme Court Decision Raises Questions about Electronic Recordings and Future of Court Reporting
The California Supreme Court's recent authorization of electronic recordings in court proceedings has raised questions concerning the accuracy of official court records and the future of the court reporting profession, according to statements from the Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association (LACCRA).
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