HAMILTON — Upgrading Butler County's system for recording and transcribing court proceedings will require hiring one full-time and two part-time court reporters at a cost of about $120,000, presiding Common Pleas Judge Matthew Crehan told the county commissioners Thursday.

        The hirings will be necessary to implement the recent recommendation of a committee of the county bar association that the county provide live court reporters for all criminal hearings and trials.

        The committee conducted a four-month study of the county's practices for recording and transcribing court proceedings after Jane A. Fitch, a professional court reporter based in Hamilton, raised concerns about inaccurate transcripts and “appearance of impropriety.” Now, judge's secretaries or other court employees listen to recordings and type transcripts.

        The judges want to pay the full-time court reporter $50,000. The reporter's income would be supplemented by whatever he or she charged per page for a transcript.

        The commissioners objected to allowing court reporters to charge for transcripts. Commissioner Mike Fox said he didn't like allowing side businesses in the courthouse.

        “It bothers me, too,” Judge Crehan said. “But the market forces are driving it. That's the way it is in most other counties in Ohio. Court reporters are in great demand.”

        The commissioners said they would prefer to raise the salary to $70,000 and have the county receive the money charged for transcript copies.

        Judge Crehan said he would make that offer to job candidates and report back to commissioners within a month.

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