From LACCRA (Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association) 7/3/2012
Dear Members:
We have several items of importance to convey in this email, so please read the message to the end.
BUDGET UPDATE
A full report regarding the court budget will be sent in a subsequent email, but please read the flyer from SEIU that will follow this email. We should be proud of our strength and tenacity as union members, and especially thankful for the leadership embodied by the SEIU lobbyist for court issues, Michelle Castro. This year-long fight resulted in positive results. The cut to the budget is significantly less than it could have been – from $844 million down to $385 million for fiscal year 2012-13. Substantial policy changes protecting trial court funding, a legislative prohibition on spending on the last version of CCMS, and a large cut to the AOC budget make this a true win for all court employees. Thanks to all who helped make this significant victory happen. LACCRA encourages all members to attend a noontime meeting in your courthouse to learn more and talk about the next step as we continue to deal with the budget crisis.
In addition to funding issues, SEIU was able to address two matters directly affecting court reporters. First, a new fee has been added to cover civil proceedings lasting less than an hour. SEIU and LACCRA continue to pressure management to encourage the bench officers to utilize our 3/5 reporters so this money is collected.
Second, the AOC has been stopped from unilaterally imposing “Word Count.” Every jurisdiction has a long-standing agreement between the administration and reporters for transcript payment based on a presumed number of folios (100 words) on a page based on the approved format. Our agreement is 2.58 folios per page for criminal; no more than 3 folios for civil. The AOC’s auditors recently concluded that the trial courts were overpaying for transcripts by using these folio multipliers. The auditors claimed the requisite number of words were not on the page, although there was no consistent definition of what a “word” is. As a result, many administrators began implementing Word Count by requiring their reporters to run their transcripts through a program that counted “words.” In some cases, this was resulting in a 30% loss of transcript income – particularly damaging when there has not been an increase in the folio in almost 23 years. Our union, in partnership with CCRA and COCRA, was able to insert language in the budget trailer bill that allows page-folio agreements that were in effect as of January 1, 2012 to remain and not be changed unilaterally.
Sincerely,
The Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association
Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association
111 North Hill Street | Room 606-A Mosk Courthouse| Los Angeles, CA 90012
Judicial Council Watcher 
wearyant
July 4, 2012
” … there has not been an increase in the folio in almost 23 years. ”
Is there ANYONE who has not received a raise in 23 years?
C’mon, AOC auditors, GET REAL! Get a real job. In fact, get lost. Hopefully, soon, you will have no more funding to cover your “job.”
Recall Tani!
Long live the ACJ!
And, thank you, Hon. Darrell Steinberg. And Hon. Perez. And all of the California Legislature!!
Wendy Darling
July 4, 2012
Well, Ant, the AOC needs to pay for all those Grey Goose martinis, caviar hors d’oeuveres, and lobster dinners somehow, especially since “spending restrictions won’t affect the Administrative Office of the Courts at all.” Trial court employees, and especially court reporters, are preferred targets, especially given the AOC’s animosity to union represented court employees.
And yet it was/is the AOC that proposed to charge something like $10 per page for documents through CCMS. Again, the hypocrisy is just astonishing.
Long live the ACJ.
wearyant
July 4, 2012
$10 per page?! Yikes! What gall they have! Lord! I knew if the JC/AOC got control of the transcripts, they’d “go to town” on the beleaguered California citizens. I figured they quadruple it. $10? OMG!
The AOC has got to be stopped.
Recall Tani!
Long live the ACJ!
Stop the JC/AOC/CJ from gouging our taxpaying citizens!!
disgusted
July 4, 2012
I think some commemorative carvings on the stone walls of the AOC building are in order. I’ll go first: Do as I say, not as I do.
Wendy Darling
July 4, 2012
More to the point, Disgusted, the stone walls of 455 Golden Gate Avenue should just be carved with the real motto of the AOC: “Shut Up and Obey.”
Long live the ACJ.
wearyant
July 4, 2012
I’d offer this:
“We say we’re here for the people we serve,
“But we’re REALLY here for Grey Goose martinis and caviar hors d’oeuveres.”
Recall Tani!
Long live the ACJ!
God bless America!
unionman575
July 4, 2012
Ant I like that! It rhymes!
🙂
unionman575
July 4, 2012
I am glad LACCRA prevailed on this issue.
Judicial Council Watcher
July 4, 2012
P.S. While we’re happy to post communiques such as this, I was reminded that when you do submit something to JCW for broadcast syndication and posting that if you wish to have accompanying video embedded, we can make arrangements to embed your video here at JCW or embed a youtube link. In other words, if you prefer, you can select your own theme music or video message. If your organization includes a logo image in the email message we will use that logo as a part of the post.
We’ll be amending our about and privacy statement to introduce these previously unpublished services to our readers, Some of you who communicate with us are already aware of these services and avail yourselves of them 🙂
unionman575
July 8, 2012
http://www.the-signal.com/m/section/36/article/69425/
Budget threatens justice for all
By Jim Holt
Signal Senior Staff Writer
July 5, 2012 1:55 a.m.
“According to the Los Angeles County Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge David Wesley, “There will be more cuts next year, and their impacts will be severe.”
“The current cuts already affect the core work of court — the judge in the courtroom — while significant budget shortfalls remain,” Wesley said. “Given the significance of our responsibilities to protect public safety and children, the next round of reductions will further limit our ability to hear civil cases.”