A Dec. 5 article in the Pennsylvania Record reported that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has adopted a comprehensive set of new rules to govern court reporting services provided to judges, lawyers, and citizens in the state’s 60 judicial districts. The article cites a news release issued by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts dated Dec. 4. The changes, which include transcript fees, the use of electronic transcripts, how to handle payments, and transcript formatting among other things, are set to go into effect June 1, 2015.
“Five years ago, a select number of reporters were chosen to participate in discussions regarding Rule 5000 revisions. We were disappointed that our suggestions were, in large part, disregarded. The Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association engaged an attorney at that time to draft a response to the AOPC addressing our concerns, but communication was abruptly terminated by the AOPC. We heard nothing over the intervening five years until Dec. 5, when the order was announced,” says Kathy McHugh, president of the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association. “PCRA has formed together a committee to thoroughly review the rules and their impact on officials. With the help of NCRA and other state leaders who have reached out to us, we are developing talking points for reporters to discuss with their President Judges to facilitate a team approach in implementing these new rules.”
NCRA will work with PCRA to defend court reporters in this action.
