Supreme Court Orders Trial Courts To Use Electronic Recording When No Court Reporter Is Available

California's court reporter shortage has left more than a million civil, family, and probate proceedings a year with no means of creating an official transcript in Los Angeles County alone. In Family Violence Appellate Project v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court held that a superior court has a duty to provide an official verbatim record to a litigant in all cases in all proceedings when the litigant cannot afford a private reporter. That includes electronic recording when no official reporter is available notwithstanding the Government Code’s prohibition to the contrary. The Honorable Lawrence P. Riff, Supervising Judge of Civil (Los Angeles Superior Court), and Alphonse F. Provinziano, CFLS, of Provinziano & Associates, will examine the decision, and its implications for the courts and practitioners handling family law, probate, and civil matters. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.