A Nov. 16 article on Pittsburgh’s TribLive.com reported that the court administrators in Western Pennsylvania are having difficulty filling positions for court reporters, saying that positions have been unfilled for months. According to the article, the shortage could be attributed to the decreased availability of training which requires mastering an unusual skill, the increased need for trained stenographers to provide closed captioning or other services for people with hearing impairments, or simply that the starting salary hasn’t proved to be enough of a lure to potential candidates. The article goes on to mention that the Washington County courts have purchased a digital recording system to prevent delays in getting a record of the proceedings. The article further states that NCRA representatives said that the move is not without controversy and that recording systems have been known to cause costly delays.
