Courts Struggle With Court Reporter Shortage
From the Bloomington Pantagraph
The dwindling numbers of court reporters and the small pool of candidates in line to replace them has state leaders looking at options to ensure that an accurate record is maintained of court proceedings.
In the 11th Judicial Circuit, 16 of 20 court reporter positions are filled and provide coverage for felony and juvenile cases in McLean, Livingston, Logan, Woodford and Ford counties.
"We have to tell someone on a regular basis that they're not going to have a court reporter available," said William Scanlon, trial court administrator for the circuit. One vacancy has been open for three years, he said.
The shortage grows more critical each year as more court reporters approach retirement age, said Scanlon, noting that three current reporters are eligible to retire.
Electronic recording devices have been introduced in the majority of Illinois courts and soon will come to McLean County as one way of addressing the shortage.
The McLean County Board recently approved a $90,000 bid for audio system in six of 12 courtrooms at the Law and Justice Center. The system is similar to one used by the 4th District Appellate Court.
Scanlon cautioned that devices can be unreliable and should not be considered a suitable replacement for trained professionals.
"Technology is not the solution to every problem because it's not going to work every time. There's no guarantee that there won't be technical problems," said Scanlon.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Bloomington Pantagraph
The dwindling numbers of court reporters and the small pool of candidates in line to replace them has state leaders looking at options to ensure that an accurate record is maintained of court proceedings.
In the 11th Judicial Circuit, 16 of 20 court reporter positions are filled and provide coverage for felony and juvenile cases in McLean, Livingston, Logan, Woodford and Ford counties.
"We have to tell someone on a regular basis that they're not going to have a court reporter available," said William Scanlon, trial court administrator for the circuit. One vacancy has been open for three years, he said.
The shortage grows more critical each year as more court reporters approach retirement age, said Scanlon, noting that three current reporters are eligible to retire.
Electronic recording devices have been introduced in the majority of Illinois courts and soon will come to McLean County as one way of addressing the shortage.
The McLean County Board recently approved a $90,000 bid for audio system in six of 12 courtrooms at the Law and Justice Center. The system is similar to one used by the 4th District Appellate Court.
Scanlon cautioned that devices can be unreliable and should not be considered a suitable replacement for trained professionals.
"Technology is not the solution to every problem because it's not going to work every time. There's no guarantee that there won't be technical problems," said Scanlon.
Read more in our daily News Update...