JAVS offers California courts AI recording after Supreme Court ruling

Justice AV Solutions said it is ready to help California’s 58 Superior Courts deploy electronic recording after the state Supreme Court ruled on Aug. 11 that hearings must be recorded electronically when no certified court reporter is available. The move aims to close a reporter shortage that has left more than 3 million proceedings without a verbatim transcript since 2023.

Why it matters: - California’s court reporter shortage has left millions of hearings without a verbatim record since 2023. - The gap has hit family law, restraining order, probate and civil cases hardest. - Litigants who cannot afford a private reporter have been hit disproportionately. - Electronic recording now has a clearer role in preserving the record when a certified reporter is unavailable.

What happened: - Justice AV Solutions said it is ready to support California’s Superior Courts after the California Supreme Court’s Aug. 11 ruling. - The unanimous ruling says courts must allow electronic recording of hearings whenever a certified court reporter is unavailable. - Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote that "a verbatim record created by electronic recording is better than no record at all." - JAVS said it can help California’s 58 Superior Courts deploy AI-powered courtroom recording systems.

The details: - JAVS said its courtroom technology includes multi-channel audio capture, automatic HD video, AI-powered real-time captioning and instant transcription. - The company said the system creates a secure, searchable digital record. - JAVS said its systems are in more than 10,000 courtrooms across the United States and in 17 countries. - The company said the platform is designed to work alongside certified court reporters, not replace them. - JAVS said California courts can use the technology in proceedings where a reporter is not available without adding burden to court staff. - JAVS said it is ready to work with the California Judicial Council, county courts and procurement offices. - The company said it can support fast deployment, from a single courtroom to a countywide rollout. - JAVS said it can integrate with existing court management systems and support hybrid and remote proceedings. - JAVS said its technology can help courts navigate procurement through established government contracting vehicles. - JAVS said it holds a Leveraged Procurement Agreement with the Judicial Council of California for Statewide Audiovisual Systems, Solutions, and Maintenance Services. - JAVS said that agreement already provides a procurement path for California courts. - The company said each system is backed by nationwide service coverage and named response-time service level agreements. - JAVS said the same company builds the hardware and software and handles support for the whole system. - California courts can contact JAVS at www.javs.com or 800-354-5287.

Between the lines: - The ruling creates an opening for vendors that can move quickly with courtroom-ready recording systems. - JAVS is positioning electronic recording as a stopgap for coverage gaps, not a replacement for certified reporters. - The company is also leaning on existing procurement access to shorten the time from decision to deployment. - The message to courts is practical: preserve the record now, without waiting for the reporter shortage to ease.

What's next: - California courts will decide whether to adopt or expand electronic recording under the new ruling. - JAVS said it is prepared for immediate discussions with state and county court leaders. - Procurement, installation and integration will determine how quickly courts can move from policy to implementation. - More courts may use hybrid recording models if reporter shortages continue.