News Photo by Julie Riddle Court recorder Cindy Garber sits at her equipment in the 88th District Court courtroom in Alpena. Court recorders have not had a transcription cost increase since 1986.

ALPENA — Michigan court recorders and reporters need a raise.

The state hasn’t increased its per-page payments to the people responsible for the creation of official written recordings of legal proceedings since 1986. At $1.75 per transcribed page, Michigan is the lowest-paying state in the nation.

Other upper Midwest states pay more than double Michigan’s rate for the mostly female profession, with per-page rates of $3.50 per page in Illinois, $4 in Ohio, and $4.50 in Indiana.

Proposed legislation being discussed in the state House this week would raise the rates of transcription, for the first time in 33 years, to $3.50 a page and 75 cents per copy.

An online petition supporting the bill encourages lawmakers to consider the value of accurate and professional transcripts for the proper administration of justice.

Nobody likes to see costs go up, Garber said. But, in a mentally exhausting profession, one in which, she said with a grim face, “you hear a lot of things you can’t unhear,” working for 1986 rates is one official record that is due for change.

“I really do think it’s time,” said Alpena District Court recorder Cindy Garber.

The raises would affect two types of court workers who do the same basic job. Court recorders, Garber said, enter information digitally, while court reporters use stenotype machines to record using shorthand.

The job, Garber said, is to produce a clear, accurate, and verbatim record of the legal proceedings of court.

Garber, who said she used to hate typing, spends most days at the keyboard, ensuring that the important legal moments of court are properly recorded.

While a device records the sounds of the courtroom, Garber monitors the court proceedings, ensuring that every nod or shake of the head, every “mm-hm” or “uh-uh,” is clarified and turned into a yes or a no.

An accurate log of exact times when an attorney starts speaking, a witness is excused, or an item is entered into evidence, accompanied by a summary of what each speaker says, typed by Garber as court proceeds, helps the court quickly access information and determine whether proceedings have followed proper order.

While recording the actions of court with attentive ears, the court recorder juggles other court-related work, keeping track of orders by the judge, setting hearings, making phone calls at the judge’s request, or requesting files.

Hours of close attention to court is exhausting, Garber said, but necessary to make sure the records she produces are an accurate representation of legal actions.

One responsibility of a court recorder is providing a typed transcription of hearings or other portions of court sessions. Transcriptions are created on demand, typically at the request of attorneys or a higher court.

Per-page fees for transcription are paid by the requesting party directly to the transcriber.

Transcription is done by the court reporter not as a county employee but as an independent contractor. Court reporters are paid by the page for the transcription process, which requires meticulously going through recordings, converting them word-for-word into typed hard copies.

A hearing involving the testimony of witnesses, transcription of which is often requested when a felony defendant is moved from district to circuit court, can require hours of labor. That time is included in Gaber’s work day, but it’s not unusual for her to need to work nights or weekends to finish creating the document.

In Presque Isle County, several individuals are certified as court recorders and are present in the courtroom, but transcription happens at home, on their own time.

Rose Przybyla is a deputy clerk for Presque Isle County. Her transcription work requires the use of her home printer and ink to create lengthy documents around her personal schedule, after working a full-time job at the county Clerk’s Office.

A 49-page transcribed document at her elbow, she explained that some cases with mandated deadlines push court reporters to complete the work regardless of their schedules.

“You’ve gotta get it done,” Przybyla said.

The original copies of transcriptions, created at $1.75 per page, have to be filed at the court. Copies supplied to attorneys, or anyone else, cost 30 cents per page.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.