ILLINOIS COURT REPORTERS RESCUED

Although a court reporter is essential to proceedings, budget shortages and bureaucratic obstacles sometimes stand in the way. The budget of the Lake County Circuit Court in Illinois was so limited that the courtroom could not afford to hire court reporters or many other full-time civil workers. Thankfully, the state senate intervened and approved a budget amendment that permits the continuation of regular, full-time proceedings. Since these specialists had only been working half-time for the past two weeks, the situation had forced many legal processes to halt. Local felony courts are impacted by the state’s financial crisis, which begins at the state level. The last two weeks were stressful, one of the court reporters said. I’ve never had to cope with (being on furlough) before. You feel as if you are strolling in a fog; it’s unbelievable. Civil staff rejoiced once the measure was carried. Chief Judge John Phillips, the judge who had initiated the procedure to avoid possible layoffs, expressed his relief by calling it stupendously. He texted every member of the court reporting team as soon as he learned the news. One reporter said, We’re so grateful to Judge Phillips and the way it was handled here. A close escape Without a court reporter, a session cannot even be held. However, when permanent reporters are unable to report, authorities may substitute contract reporters to cover the void. Courts may continue to operate without going over budget via outsourcing. The municipal court in Illinois barely managed to avoid using contract court reporters. It seemed kind of lonely coming in and seeing only half of our members here, said a local court reporter. Although I’m relieved that it passed, I felt a bit let down by how near it was. With a vote of 32 to 26, the initiative was not widely supported, but Phillips says he thinks the outcome is a signal of things to come. Although there are several financial problems in the federal and state systems, cutting court reporters is not a practical solution. It’s a big catch-up job after two weeks with half-time court reporters. a lack of knowledge: Although court officials are aware of the amazing job that their reporters do, those outside the system are not always informed about the subject. A neighborhood resident said, All they do is flip a switch to turn on a voice recorder, in response to one of the statements. I believe the judge may be able to do it, but most likely not. Even while these remarks are often made in jest, they do raise an important issue: it may be difficult to properly budget if those outside of the legal system, such as senators, do not comprehend the role of court reporters. Months of delays resulted from the court closure, which eventually cost money and time. While hiring a professional court reporter on a contract is always an option, courts shouldn’t be obliged to use one because of financial constraints.