For Immediate Release
November 29, 2000
WHEATON, Ill. -- Chief Justice Moses W. Harrison II of the Supreme Court of Illinois said
Tuesday he was impressed with court facilities in DuPage County which utilize a digital tape
recording system to preserve official records of testimony in civil cases.
Chief Justice Harrison toured the courtroom facilities in DuPage County on Monday with Supreme Court Justice-elect Bob Thomas; DuPage court officials, including Appellate Judge Michael Galasso, who was former chief judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, and current Chief Judge Thomas Callum; DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, and his top assistant, John Kinsella; Steve Levy, a lawyer who practices in DuPage County; and Joseph A. Schillaci, director of the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts.
The Administrative Office instituted the pilot project in DuPage with the approval of the Court and is overseeing its expansion into other counties.
"I can see that this is a step in the right direction," said Chief Justice Harrison. "We must consider what technology has to offer at this time. I was very impressed with the administration of the system and how effective it seems to be. I was also impressed with the judges and lawyers we talked to who praised the system's accuracy."
Fifteen of the 38 courtrooms in the Wheaton courthouse are equipped with the system. It consists of several highly sensitive microphones strategically placed in each courtroom and a small video camera discretely suspended from overhead. A continuing feed of the audio and video is transmitted to a control room where one court reporter or electronic recording operator is responsible for monitoring four courtrooms.
By computer, the court reporter or electronic recording operator (ERO) tags the audio recordings to identify speakers and the substance of testimony for later retrieval. The audio material is stored on a digital compact disc, which is considered the official court record and can be transcribed by a court reporter when a request for an official transcript is made. The video recording, used only as an aid to the court reporters, is not saved.
The system was instituted in DuPage County in May 1999. The Supreme Court wanted to institute a pilot project to see how new technology could better distribute resources to introduce efficiencies in the court reporting system and save taxpayers money.
Currently, the Supreme Court budget pays more than $41 million for court reporters salaries, transcripts and other related expenses. Chief Justice Harrison said that although there has been a hiring freeze on new court reporters, no court reporter will lose his or her job because of the digital system.
Chief Justice Harrison toured courtrooms equipped with the system and received briefings from Judge Callum; Judge Robert K. Kilander, who tries large civil cases with the system; Robert Fiscella, DuPage County Court Administrator; and Geri Barnes, the county court reporter administrator who supervises daily operation of the system and trains EROs. He toured the control room where the EROs were monitoring courtroom proceedings by computer and live audio.
Chief Justice Harrison also sat it on a live hearing before Judge Rodney W. Equi, whose Domestic Relations courtroom utilizes the system.
Judge Callum told Chief Justice Harrison of an internal survey of judges and lawyers working with the digital recording system, who gave it "an overwhelming positive response," in terms of ease, speed of obtaining a transcript and accuracy.
Of the 130 attorneys who answered the survey, 95 percent believed the transcripts were accurate and complete, 98 percent believed obtaining a transcript under the digital system was convenient and 87 percent felt it was timely.
After viewing the digital recording operation, Chief Justice Harrison was very complimentary.
"I want to give high praise to Chief Judge Tom Callum and former Chief Judge Mike Galasso and to Director Joe Schillaci in taking a strong stand in incorporating technology into our system in a way that will decrease the cost of trials for litigants and still preserve and provide an accurate record," Chief Justice Harrison said. "The chief judges, the director and Geri Barnes, the court reporter supervisor, took an enlightened view to accomplish these purposes.
"Not only is the Supreme Court indebted to these people but so are all the citizens of the State of Illinois who are the ultimate beneficiaries of these efforts."
DuPage County officials say they plan to expand the system to other courtrooms.
Based on the success of the pilot project in DuPage County, a digital recording system has also been initiated in the counties of: Saline, Pope, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Lee, Randolph, Kankakee and Piatt.