L.A. Court Upped Electronic Recording Contract to $25 Million

The Los Angeles state court, in the last two years, has increased its contract with a company that provides electronic courtroom recording equipment by nearly $20 million.

The most dramatic year-over-year increase—more than $16 million in 2023—pre-dates the court’s controversial and potentially illegal announcement to allow court staff to electronically record more types of hearings, announced on Sept. 5.

The contract’s growth coincides with calls from court officials since at least 2022 targeting court reporter vacancies. They said the shortage of court reporters has become a crisis in Los Angeles’ state courts, that the court is spending more to recruit ...