PRESS RELEASE
Immediate Access to Court Audio Recordings for Low-Income Litigants
March 17, 2025 - This week the California Concerned Parents Coalition shines a light on discrimination against low-income litigants denied direct access to audio recordings of their own hearings, forcing them to rely on prohibitively expensive third-party transcription services. The coalition contends that this stark economic barrier contributes to the perpetuation of a two-tiered system of justice as well, where access to the official record is contingent on one’s ability to pay thousands of dollars in third-party service fees.
The California Constitution, Article I, Section 3(b)(2), explicitly guarantees that “a statute, court rule, or other authority shall be broadly construed if it furthers the people’s right of access, and narrowly construed if it limits the right of access.” Yet, in direct contradiction to this constitutional mandate, California courts routinely refuse to provide self-represented litigants with the very recordings used to generate official transcripts, citing “jurisdictional preference.”
But the times keep changing. On December 5th, 2024, the California Lawyers Association submitted an amicus letter (see attachments) to the California Supreme Court in support of a Petition for Writ of Mandate and/or Prohibition filed by the Family Violence Appellate Project and Bay Area Legal Aid. The petition addresses the court reporter shortage and demands that electronic recordings be made available to litigants at no cost when a court reporter is not provided.
“There is an access to justice crisis in the California courts,” the petition states, highlighting the fact that low-income and self-represented litigants are systemically disadvantaged due to the lack of an official verbatim record in civil, family, and probate proceedings. The current system effectively grants the wealthy and well-represented parties access to an official record while leaving others with no recourse but to pay exorbitant fees or risk the consequences of an incomplete or contested record.
Betty Williams, President of the CLA, described the situation as "untenable and inherently unfair," noting that California’s policy of banning electronic recordings in family court proceedings—except in limited civil cases, misdemeanors, and infractions—has "created a system of injustice throughout the state."
The CCPC echoes this concern and demands that California courts uphold the fundamental right of all litigants to access their own court records without financial barriers. If courts continue to prohibit electronic recordings while refusing to provide court reporters, they are violating both Article I, Section 3(b)(2) of the California Constitution and the basic principles of due process.
"The courts belong to the people - not private transcription companies profiting off access to justice," said a CCPC chairman Basho Parks. "Once again this is class-warfare by proxy. Self-represented parents fighting to protect their children in family court shouldn’t have to pay $150-per-hearing-hour just to obtain the audio record of their own case. This is a broken record message: access to justice must be broad, and restrictions on access must be narrow. The current system does the exact opposite."
The California Concerned Parents Coalition implores our elected lawmakers and judicial officials to join us in a demand for policy change that ensures free access to court audio recordings for self-represented litigants in all family court proceedings. We won’t allow socio-economic barriers to continue silencing the voices of parents and children in California’s courts.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FAMILY COURTS ARE FAILING PARENTS AND CHILDREN
March 8th, 2025 - The family court system in Northern California is operating in a manner that prioritizes judicial and attorney profit over the well-being of children and families. This legal ecosystem, designed to exploit parents’ unconditional love for their children, has left countless families financially and emotionally devastated. Parents who seek justice are instead met with unethical legal maneuvers, suppression of evidence, and blatant violations of their constitutional rights.
A 2022 report by California State Auditor Michael S. Tilden exposed widespread corruption within the California State Bar, citing undisclosed conflicts of interest, misappropriation of client funds, and improper handling of judicial complaints. While this report focused on attorneys, the abuses within California's family courts extend far beyond, affecting countless parents and children trapped in a system designed to extract wealth rather than ensure justice.
"Our family courts have become a profiteering industry rather than a place where parents and children find fairness," said Basho Parks, chairman of the California Concerned Parents Coalition. "Judges and attorneys manipulate the system to prolong litigation, levy baseless accusations, and ultimately sever parents from their children, all under the guise of justice."
Parents in Northern California have come forward with harrowing stories of judicial misconduct, including:
Judges who have been recused continue to issue orders retroactively.
Children being permanently removed from a parent based on hearsay allegations, without evidence or due process.
Fraudulent restraining orders issued to manipulate custody arrangements.
Attorneys engage in abuse of process, coercion, blackmail, and suppression of exculpatory evidence.
Repeated violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in family court proceedings.
Court-appointed minors’ counsels disregard the best interests of children while benefiting from prolonged litigation.
Children being denied the right to testify, despite legal statutes protecting their ability to do so.
Secret hearings ("Star Chambers") that remove children from their parents without notice.
Systemic bias favoring wealthier litigants who can afford to game the system.
In Northern California, these violations have left families torn apart and financially ruined. False allegations - often weaponized in custody disputes - carry no legal consequences for the accuser, yet can permanently sever a parent’s relationship with their child. Despite existing perjury laws, family courts rarely, if ever, prosecute those who make false claims, reinforcing a culture of judicial impunity.
"Our courts have allowed perjury, legal malpractice, and judicial corruption to flourish unchecked," said CCPC Treasurer Brian Susmilch. "We demand an immediate investigation into these widespread abuses and meaningful reforms to protect the fundamental rights of parents and children."
CCPC is calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta, local district attorneys, and state legislators to launch an independent investigation into Northern California's family courts and to take decisive action against those exploiting the system for financial gain.
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