In thousands of court hearings and trials every day in California, no stenographic reporter is available to prepare a transcript. If the losing side can’t afford to hire a reporter, they may lack the record needed for an appeal. That’s neither fair nor legally acceptable, the state Supreme Court said Monday, ordering courts to tape-record all proceedings that take place without a court reporter and provide transcripts to the parties.

The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold public in-person hearings in San Francisco on Aug. 19-20 to consider eight appointments to California’s Courts of Appeal in Sacramento, San Jose, Ventura, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Diego.

(Subscription required) The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that litigants may make settlement offers under Code of Civil Procedure Section 998 that present opposing parties with a choice between alternative settlement terms, rejecting the Court of Appeal's conclusion that such offers are categorically invalid.

An en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld an Arizona voter registration law Friday, concluding that a voter outreach organization does not have standing to challenge a law requiring cancellation of some voter registrations.