Voice of OC: Court Chiefs Ring Alarm Bells About Worsening Shortage of Court Reporters

Dear OCEA member / Court Reporter,

Recently the Voice of OC published an article headlined “Court Chiefs Ring Alarm Bells About Worsening Shortage of Court Reporters to Transcribe Hearings.” The article details the Court Reporter shortage and includes quotes from OCEA’s General Manager Charles Barfield who reiterates our position to Court officials and County residents—that the shortage is driven by stagnant pay for Court Reporters while competing positions in the private market keep paying more in comparison.

This shortage has led to a growing number of court cases that lack a Reporter's transcript of the proceedings. As the VOC’s correspondent writes, “Court Reporters serve a critical role in the justice system, providing a key record crucial for appeals and misconduct probes of attorneys and judges.”

As you may know, in September OCEA sent a letter to the Judicial Council of California requesting that part of $30 million in new annual funding be spent on increasing the number of Court Reporters and increasing compensation to current Court Reporters.

Despite our advocacy, there is still MORE work to be done! OCEA will continue to fight for Court Reporters at the local level and in Sacramento. Later this month OCEA workplace leaders will be lobbying our State Legislature in Sacramento during the 2023 OCEA Court Lobby Day. During our Lobby Day, the OCEA team will demand our fair share of funding to support front-line OCEA workers.

Please click here to read the full article and stay tuned for more information and ways to get involved.

In Solidarity,

OCEA

Publication Date: January 4, 2023