ER Update for June 20th, 2008 – They Hear Us!
Posted in: Uncategorized
It was another big day in Sacramento. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata of District 9 agreed to have staff meet with our best and brightest about ER Expansion and other concerns having to do with our court reporting profession.
Our union representatives – Michelle Castro with SEIU; Willie Pelote and Michael Bolden with AFSCME; and Libby Sanchez with IFPTE – all had an opportunity to speak on our behalf. Perata’s staff was very open to all of the facts pointed out about the problems with electronic recording [ER].
After discussing the implications of ER expansion and the accessibility of transcripts when ER is being used in court, Senator Perata’s staff became very interested in knowing how that would affect citizens trying to obtain an ER recording.
This can do nothing but help our cause. When purchasing a cd or recording, the entire day’s worth of proceedings is on each recording purchased. Imagine the privacy issues! Social security numbers, names, phone numbes, addresses, and other personal information for anyone wishing to purchase a cd? Yes, that happens when ER is being used.
We also provided examples of transcripts from typists in ER transcribing firms to further prove that these inferior records of proceedings are not worth the paper they are typed on.
It doesn’t matter that the recording equipment is modern, as some proponents of ER claim, because the machine cannot tell a person to speak up, repeat what was said, slow down, not talk over another, or to stop mumbling.
As we have shown, these few problems create disasters when a typist tries to make a record…that is, if there is a record. We also have many examples of machine malfunction where the words never make it into any kind of record. Talk about costly!
It’s not over, by any means. But the fact that the Conference Committee and Senator Perata’s staff and many others are actively seeking out information about our profession and are open to hearing the truth about the costs of ER, means the legislature is not going to make a decision based on emotion. For that, we have to be truly grateful.
It is a very emotional time in Sacramento. Cuts are occurring everywhere. It is important we realize how lucky and smart we are to be the best and most cost-effective way to provide transcripts while continuing to educate ourselves and expand our skill level.
We will continue to update you regularly…bookmark COCRA to keep informed.
Thanks,
THE COCRA TEAM
Posted on June 21st, 2008 by Janice
2 Comments
June 24th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I speak for all of San Joaquin County when I say a big “Thank You” to COCRA for your diligence and hard work! We have a couple of courtrooms equipped with “DR”. They were just installed a couple of months ago. We have had problems with them already and the judges are requesting that we report the matters. Hopefully, the Senate will listen – otherwise, the public will end up paying big time!
June 24th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Thanks, COCRA, for keeping on top of this! I think the judges should speak out about ER. Realtime is an invaluble tool to judges in family court. My judge is always reviewing testimony and argument in preparing rulings and orders. Frankly, I don’t see how the judges could do that if they were made to listen to hours of tapes in order to review the court proceedings. So everyone needs to get on the realtime bandwagon and get their judges on board also.