Court Reporters Going The Way Of The Dodo

Massachusetts is undergoing a $5 million effort to install digital recording systems in 455 courtrooms, across 100 courthouses, to replace human court reporters. Critics of the move worry that transcripts will be riddled with errors and inaudible passages. “People are concerned that very serious cases, like murder cases, will be using electronic recording without a track record that it’s going to be up to the task,” said Michael S. Hussey, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Six states, including New Hampshire and Vermont, already use digital systems, many for budgetary reasons. Court reporters earn about $82,000 a year, the Boston Globe reports.