Governor's Proposal Seeks To Replace All Official Court Reporters with ER

Posted in: Electronic Recording, Furloughs

The Legislative Analyst’s Office [LAO] is proposing full implementation of electronic recording, eliminating official court reporters at a rate of 20% per year for five years.

Because of our budget crisis, we find ourselves facing the LAO proposal to implement ER once again.

Apparently, the LAO does not understand that eliminating official court reporters’ positions hurts Californians more than it helps.

As COCRA stated before, our legal system is where our fellow Californians go during their most difficult times either criminally or civilly. The citizens need to know that a certified shorthand reporter is preserving their record for appeal or other necessary legal proceedings.

Misrepresentations made by the LAO (two of which are listed below) prompted COCRA to compile sourced, current, and factual data in their Preserving Access to Justice Task Force Report, revised February of 2009, which points out the many problems ER creates for those involved in the legal system.

For example, in December of 2008, the LAO stated, “Based on our analysis of [a study in CA], the state could save over a hundred million dollars per year on an annual basis,” if California official reporting positions are eliminated at a rate of 20% per year.

After Senator Roderick D. Wright (D) of District 25 expressed concern over the timeliness of transcript production and about unverified terminology being transcribed at a later date, the LAO stated, “Well, I think my understanding is that normally the recordings would be transcribed within a day.”

COCRA is working hard to ensure that everyone in Sacramento is aware of these and other misrepresentations and will continue to attend every hearing open to our group.

COCRA is also in contact with SEIU, AFSCME, IFPTE, CCRA, and DRA to ensure the interests of all official court reporters and fellow Californians are represented.

Please help COCRA support you. We need your time, financial donations, and input.

Send letters and faxes to the committee members listed below.

Also, please remember to be a little kinder, more generous, and patient when connecting with people.

You never know if someone you meet has just lost his/her profession and has nowhere to go.

ASSEMBLY

Noreen Evans, Chair; (D-Santa Rosa)
FAX 916-319-2107
State Capitol
Room 6026
Sacramento, CA, 94249-0007

Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles)
FAX 916-319-2145
State Capitol
Room 2114
Sacramento, CA 94249-0045

Bob Blumenfield (D-Van Nuys)
FAX 916-319-2140
State Capitol
Room 6011
Sacramento, CA 94249-0040

Jim Nielsen (R-Biggs)
FAX 916-319-2102
State Capitol
Room 6031
Sacramento, CA 94249-0002

Roger Niello (R-Sacramento)
FAX 916-319-2105
State Capitol
Room 6027
Sacramento, CA 94249-0005

SENATE

Denise Ducheny, Vice Chair (D-San Diego)
FAX 916-327-3522
State Capitol
Room 5035
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)
FAX 916-455-4722
State Capitol
Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 95814

Allen Lowenthal (D-Long Beach)
FAX 916-327-9113
State Capitol
Room 2032
Sacramento, CA 95814

Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga)
FAX 916-327-2272
State Capitol
Room 5094
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mimi Walters (R-Tustin)
FAX 916-445-9754
State Capitol
Room 3082
Sacramento, CA 95814

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