California Supreme Court permits electronic recording for indigent civil hearings

In a Monday decision, the California Supreme Court authorized electronic audio capture of civil hearings when the court cannot supply a court reporter and the parties cannot pay for a private one, citing a legal presumption of a required record. The ruling leaves criminal proceedings and some civil categories under the traditional reporter requirement. The change targets a crisis in which an estimated over a million hearings each year have gone without transcripts, hampering appeals in cases such as domestic-violence and child-custody disputes.

Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero emphasized that indigent litigants deserve meaningful access to the judicial process. While reform groups welcomed the move, the Service Employees International Union warned it could undermine efforts to rebuild the court-reporter profession after budget cuts. The court framed its order as a practical solution without assigning blame for the staffing shortage.