HAMILTON — After launching a public battle to change Butler County's system of recording court proceedings, a professional stenographer has formed a political action committee that aims at statewide reforms.

        Jane A. Fitch, a West Chester Township woman who is president of a Hamilton-based court reporting firm, filed the necessary paperwork last week with the county Board of Elections.

        Ms. Fitch said she is recruiting attorneys and court reporters from throughout the state for the nonpartisan group calling itself Citizens for an Open and Fair Judiciary.

        The committee will push for:

        • New laws that would require licensing or certification for court reporters in Ohio.

        • Any law that would restrict or ban use of audio-recording devices rather than court stenographers at the Common Pleas level and above.

        Last month, Ms. Fitch began publicly questioning the “appearance of impropriety” under Butler County's current system, in which judges' assistants and other court employees produce transcripts for extra cash.

        Butler is the only county in southwestern Ohio that still typically uses cassette tapes or compact discs to record court action — and court employees to transcribe them.

        Ms. Fitch alleges the personnel generally lack special training, produce lower-quality work and some may even be doing the work on county time — a practice that is supposed to be prohibited.

        Further, she and others have also complained that some courts have made it difficult or impossible to obtain copies of recorded proceedings, which could violate Ohio's public records laws.

        Matthew J. Crehan, administrative judge for the courts, has said that live court reporters might produce more accurate records, but he doesn't know whether the county can afford the cost.

        The county commissioners have set aside $90,000 to test using live court reporters.

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