LOS ANGELES — A California Supreme Court decision allowing the use of electronic recordings in court proceedings has raised questions about the accuracy of official court records and the potential impact on the court reporting profession, according to an Aug. 10, 2026, press release.
The decision followed concerns about ensuring a verbatim official record through the courts, yet important unanswered questions remain about the effectiveness of a record that human intelligence was once solely responsible for producing.
In a press release from the Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association, or LACCRA, the organization highlighted its respect for the decision’s consideration of litigants while expressing disapproval of how future California court records are to be implemented in proceedings.
The press release issued Monday mentioned how LACCRA disputed data analysis that it alleged was flawed in concluding that there were not enough court reporters to staff each courtroom within the county.
The press release included a quote from LACCRA President Shanna Gray.
“For years, county courts have spread the narrative that there aren’t enough court reporters in order to justify replacing us with electronic recording,” Gray said.
Gray highlighted this issue with the intention of disputing the data analysis presented in the case itself. The case stated that there were not enough court reporters to staff each courtroom, which is why the president provided data showing a significant increase in court reporters over the last four years.
The press release further stated that court reporting careers have recently been on the rise, establishing the field as an increasingly growing profession.
With the implementation of electronic recordings in modern proceedings, less utilization of human court reporters may prove to be a considerable challenge for the profession and its continued progression for those involved over time.
According to the United States District Court for the Central District of California, “The court reporters and court recorders play a significant role in ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the record.”
Concerns about replacing court reporters with electronic recordings during proceedings raise questions about the accuracy and assistance that, until now, have been provided by human intelligence.
The press release issued Monday further stated, “The number of newly licensed court reporters has increased from 37 in 2021 to 359 in 2025—an increase of nearly 900 percent.”
With such a significant increase in the number of court reporters over a four-year period, the new decision raises questions about whether the implementation of electronic recordings will deter that number from continuing to increase over time.
The introduction of electronic recordings as an alternative to their traditional human court reporter counterparts raises concerns about hindering the profession from flourishing, as can be seen in the steady increase reflected in recent data.
Another concern raised by the California Supreme Court decision is the accuracy of transcripts that electronic recordings will produce during proceedings. Because it is a new form of technology being introduced into courtrooms, the potential for error remains, and improvements have yet to be fully implemented.
According to an article from Generations College, “While voice recognition, artificial intelligence and other high-tech software tools are readily available, they are simply not accurate enough to take a human court reporter’s place.”
Accuracy within the courtroom could potentially prove to be a question left unanswered by the new decision in Family Violence Appellate Project, et al. v. Superior Courts. The decision was made to allow for the distribution of court reporting resources among courtrooms, yet the underlying question of whether electronic recordings will be sufficient as a replacement for human court reporters still persists.
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Categories: Breaking News Everyday Injustice Tags: access to justice California Supreme Court Court Reporters Court Transcripts Electronic Recordings Los Angeles County