California High Court Mulls Bid For More Electronic Recordings

California Supreme Court justices were urged Wednesday to ease restrictions on electronic courtroom recordings as the state deals with a shortage of court reporters to produce hearing transcripts that an attorney for the courts called a “constitutional crisis.”

“Hundreds of thousands of hearings took place without a verbatim record, many involving fundamental rights, basic freedoms, and personal safety,” Mark R. Yohalem, a partner with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, said during oral arguments, representing various state Superior Courts. “Such hearings are happening right now. More will happen this afternoon, tomorrow, and the next day.”

Roughly 70% of family law, probate, ...