(Subscription required) The high court's order thrusts lawmakers back into a debate in which the Democratic majority has steadfastly stood with court-employed certified shorthand reporters who oppose expanding the use of electronic recording.

In California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation v. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, the Supreme Court today limits the workers’ compensation benefits an injured prison guard can recover for his employer’s serious and willful misconduct. That misconduct, which was found to be a failure to deal with a planned attack by inmates, requires a 50 percent increase in compensation.

With hope of granting relief to the courts, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation last year intended to speed up the process, in part, by cutting years off the time consumers can exercise their rights to get their defective vehicles fixed or replaced. The law also puts more responsibilities on car owners to initiate claims instead of on the car companies.

The case is expected to decide whether the calculation of enhanced workers’ compensation benefits for an employer’s serious and willful misconduct under Labor Code section 4553 should be based on temporary disability payments available under the Labor Code.