Transcript Reimbursement Fund Pro Per Pilot Project Update

Source: Court Reporter Board of California Spring Newsletter 2012



The new year kicked off the second half of the two-year (California) Transcript Reimbursement Fund (TRF) Pro Per Pilot Project. With 73 requests remaining from 2011, staff immediately began processing applications with the new $30,000 allotment for the year.

There were 216 requests approved between January 1, 2011, and February 29, 2012. A total of 45 applications have been denied for being criminal cases or because the litigant retained an attorney or were returned as incomplete because of missing signatures, fee waivers, estimates or other information.

Every effort is made to remedy deficient applications when clarification is needed or the estimates have not been provided; however, this greatly increases the processing time for all applications since the fund is limited and requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

As part of the addition of Business and Professions Code 8030.5, the Board was mandated to further publicize the availability of the TRF to qualified legal services projects, qualified support centers, and pro bono attorneys. These efforts were to be made utilizing existing resources and include outreach to the State Bar Association of California, the California Commission on Access to Justice, and the Legal Aid Association of California. With the restriction of travel and other expenditures, the Board was limited on the type of outreach available. An informational brochure was created and has been distributed at conventions, such as the State Bar Annual Meeting, the Beyond the Bench Family Law Conference, and the Northern California Pro Bono Regional Meeting. In addition to the mandated outreach, the California Court Reporters Association published an article in its CCRA Online newsletter in December 2011.

To date, approximately 114 vulnerable litigants have been assisted by the pro per pilot project who may not have been able to pursue their cases or appeals without the assistance of the TRF. And although demand clearly exceeds resources for the pro per fund, the TRF overall is being better utilized than in prior years and continues to be fiscally sound.


As required by the Business & Professions Code, the Board submitted a report to the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees on March 1, 2012, regarding the TRF and pro per pilot project. The subject is also of special interest to the Legislature in their oversight of the Board as a whole in the sunset review process. The Board awaits a decision from the Legislature on whether or not the pro per pilot project will be extended after January 1, 2013.

Food From the Bar Campaign - April 30 - May 25, 2012

Hutchings' Wear-Jeans-to-Work team is joining the legal community for a 4-week Food from the Bar Campaign to support the fantastic work of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. April 30 - May 25, 2012.

We ask for your kind assistance with non-perishible food, dollars or volunteer efforts. Look for Hutchings' food bins in our LA and OC offices. More than 1 million people receive food assistance from the Food Bank each year!

LA Food Bank - Fighting Hunger. Giving Hope.

SoCalPROS Walk Team Raises Over $1,800 for Alzheimer's Association

The SoCalPROS Walk To End Alzheimer’s Team may have been short on walkers, but we raised over $1,800! This is the SoCalPROS Walk Team’s 2nd year of participation in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s which took place on Saturday, April 21st in Tustin, California. Pictured: Martha Hutchings, Shannon Kennedy, Sangeeta Agrawal, and Diana Baker.

Hutchings Court Reporters “Hutchings Heroes” team will be walking on September 22, 2012 at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim. We'd Love To Have You Join Us This Year!

Hutchings Mentor Program - Beginning Its 19th Year!

submitted by Hillary Sackett, Hutchings Mentor Program Coordinator

Hutchings Court Reporters' Mentor Program is designed to give southern California students an exciting opportunity to receive practical and professional advice along with priority treatment for deposition apprentice hours. The program complements the instruction of court reporting schools.

Over 550 court reporting students from the following southern California schools have participated in Hutchings Mentor Program over the past 18 years: Cypress College, Cerritos College, Sage College, South Coast College, Downey Adult School, Tri-Community College and Bryan College.

Deadbeat Lawyer's Case: Dead on Appeal

Hot off CCRA's press is news that the appeal of a deadbeat lawyer is dead. The decision was filed and certified for publication on April 20, 2012. This represents a major victory in what could have had a devastating effect upon any court reporter or agency trying to collect fees.


CCRA's President Early Langley assisted appellate lawyers Philip Landsman, Robert F. Cohen and Frances L. Diaz by writing an amicus curiae letter on behalf of the plaintiff court reporting firm, Personal Court Reporters, Inc., and all the court reporters in the state of California.

The deadbeat lawyer tried to make this case into a violation of free speech. In the Second Appellate District, Division Four, the court found that the causes of action do not arise from his free speech. Instead, they found that his nonpayment of overdue invoices was really at issue.

This illustrates the point that no matter what legislation may exist to get a deadbeat lawyer to pay his bills, there will always be someone out there who will find a way to avoid paying. And in this case, the lawyer went all the way, at a cost of thousands of dollars to the court reporting firm.

To view the published opinion, visit http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B229358.PDF

Hutchings Mobile App

Anywhere -- Anytime - Use Hutchings' Mobile App for iPhone and iPad Connection to your Online Deposition Calendar + Transcript | Exhibit Repository

Review your deposition calendar. Download your transcripts and exhibits. And more. If you have been set up with your complimentary online access account, all you need to do is download Hutchings' free App through iTunes. (Search: Hutchings Court Reporters).

If you haven't accessed the Hutchings-hosted online repository before, please contact us at godigital@hutchings.com to obtain your user name and password.

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Valentine's Day Treats for Court Reporting Students

submitted by Martha Hutchings

During Valentine's Week, California Court Reporters Association (CCRA) paid tribute to all of the hard-working students studying to be our future court reporters. CCRA's student liaison, Gerie Bunch, chair of the Save Our Students (SOS) program, coordinated with 16 schools statewide to ensure that all students were included in Valentine's Day deliveries. Members from all over the state delivered a Valentine's Day candy/cookie basket to each of the schools.

I was asked to deliver sweet treats to South Coast College. Students, Airriann Guyant and Javier Saavedra are posing with Hutchings' treats. It was great to meet Airriann and Javier and the students' response to the goodies was enthusiastic.

 

There are approximately 2,325 students statewide studying court reporting, and CCRA is proud to support the future of our profession.