As an indigent plaintiff, Jameson could not afford to hire a certified court reporter for the trial. Appeals courts require a transcript to review and ultimately rule on an appeal. With no transcript, there was no appeal for Jameson. Jameson had been caught in a bind that San Diego and other courts created in the wake of the severe state budget crisis stemming from the 2008 recession. The court had adopted a rule in 2012 that it would no longer provide court reporters in civil cases for free, leaving it to either side in a case to go out and hire a reporter at their own cost. Undaunted, Jameson appealed to the state Supreme Court — this time getting assistance from a lawyer in Los Angeles who had read the appeals court ruling and took the case pro bono. In a unanimous ruling in July, the high court struck down San Diego’s rule, saying that it violated state laws guaranteeing.....MORE
