Illinois courtrooms facing shortage of court reporters
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - Illinois courts are facing a shortage of court reporters, with the average age of people in the profession rising and fewer young people taking it on as a career.
Tammy Bumgarner is the director court reporting services for the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. She tells The (Bloomington) Pantagraph that about 75 percent of the office's staff of 600 workers will be eligible to retire in the next five to 15 years. Bumgarner says there are 42 court reporter vacancies across Illinois with an immediate need to fill 20 of those positions.
A majority of Illinois courts have introduced electronic recording devices as a means of addressing the court reporter shortage.
McLean County recently approved a $90,000 bid to place the audio systems in six courtrooms.
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