NCJ Number
58391
Date Published
1978
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THE NATIONAL SHORTHAND REPORTERS ASSOCIATION REQUESTED THIS STUDY TO COMPARE THE COSTS OF ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTING IN ALASKA AND THOSE OF A TRADITIONAL NONELECTRIC SYSTEM.
Abstract
PROPONENTS OF ELECTRICAL RECORDING HAVE LOOKED TO ALASKA AS AN EXAMPLE OF A STATE THAT HAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AN ELECTRICAL COURT RECORDING SYSTEM WHICH OPERATES WITHOUT THE USE OF SHORTHAND REPORTERS. THE OPERATING COST OF THIS SYSTEM DURING 1976 AND 1977 WERE STUDIED TO PROVIDE A FINANCIAL DATA BASE FOR DESCRIBING THE CURRENT ELECTRONIC REPORTING SYSTEM IN ALASKA AND TO ASSESS THE COMPARABLE COSTS OF A MORE TRADITIONAL NONELECTRONIC SYSTEM. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH ADMINISTRATORS AND MANAGERS OF THE ALASKA COURT SYSTEM, AND DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM PAYROLL RECORDS, ANNUAL REPORTS, AND EQUIPMENT INVENTORY LISTS FROM THE ALASKA COURT SYSTEM; REPORTS OF TRANSCRIPTION PRODUCTIVITY FOR THE ANCHORAGE TRANSCRIPTION SECTION; AND RESEARCH REPORTS PREPARED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS. THE COSTS WERE TABULATED AND COMPARED TO THE COSTS OF A NONELECTRONIC REPORTING SYSTEM. CAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN IN COMPARING THE ALASKA COURT SYSTEM TO OTHER STATES, AS THE ALASKAN SYSTEM IS UNIQUE: TOTAL SUPERIOR AND DISTRICT COURT FILINGS (EXCLUDING TRAFFIC) DURING 1976 EQUALED ONLY 45,779 CASES; THE COST PER CASE FILING (EXCLUDING TRAFFIC) IN 1976 WAS ALMOST $300 PER CASE; THE STATE COURT ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE IS THE SIXTH LARGEST IN THE U.S. WITH A PERMANENT STAFF OF 63 PERSONS; AND THE STATE COURT SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE FEW TOTALLY UNIFIED COURT SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. THIS REPORT REFLECTS ONLY THE OPERATIONAL COSTS OF AN EXPERIENCED REPORTING SYSTEM, AND NOT THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF INITIATING AND IMPLEMENTING SUCH A SYSTEM. ELECTRICAL RECORDING WAS SHOWN NOT TO BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN THE USE OF LIVE REPORTERS: COMPARATIVE FIGURES SHOW $10.85 OR $13.10 PER PAGE FOR A LIVE REPORTER VERSUS $14.52 PER PAGE USING ELECTRICAL RECORDING DURING 1977. FINDINGS ALSO SHOW THAT A LITIGANT PAYS $1.25 MORE FOR THE ORIGINAL AND AN EXTRA COPY OF THE ELECTRONIC REPORTING TRANSCRIPTION THAN FOR THE NONELECTRONIC COPY; IF THIS AMOUNT IS MULTIPLIED BY THE 50,515 PAGES TRANSCRIBED WITHIN THE ELECTRONIC REPORTING SYSTEM IN 1977, THE ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CONSUMER AMOUNTS TO $63,144. ALSO, EACH JUDGE IN ALASKA MUST HIRE A SECRETARY TO FULFILL SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS FORMERLY PERFORMED BY THE COURT REPORTERS, THIS ADDS AN ADDITIONAL $6.57 OVER THE $14.52 PREVIOUSLY CITED. TABLES AND CORRESPONDENCE SUPPORT THE TEXT. (MHP)