ELECTRONIC RECORDING

CENTER

The Electronic Recording Center has the responsibility of recording and producing transcripts of the proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas as well as producing transcripts for criminal preliminary hearings recorded at each of the Magisterial District Judge Courts in the county.

When operations began in 1984, the 32nd Judicial District became the first district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to record both Civil and Criminal cases by means of electronic recordings. The analog taping system served the Court for over 22 years but now has been replaced by a digital recording system that will allow the Court to make better use of computer network and internet capabilities to make recordings and provide for written transcripts.

The digital recording system used by the Court is manufactured by Court Smart Digital Systems of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  Court Smart recording systems have been successfully installed and operated in courts throughout the United States.  Like the analog tapes, the digital system will provide a multi-track recording that will be automatically archived and available for playback or transcribing.

The digital system will function the same way as the taping system.  The testimony will be able to be played back in the Courtrooms and Hearing Rooms as the Judge may direct. Transcripts as well as CD recordings of the proceedings can be obtained from the Electronic Recording Center for use by the Court or other interested parties.

The center also is equipped with a telephone conference circuit that allows the Court to conduct “on the record” emergency matters over the telephone. Furthermore this equipment allows individuals to participate in hearings that they normally could not attend due to distance or the inability to travel.