Good news for indigent litigants, who will now get a court reporter (for free) even in those courts that have done away with official court reporters.
Slightly bad news for non-indigent litigants. As footnote 18 of the opinion suggests that that it'll be the opposing (non-poor) parties who'll pay for that official reporter.
But a unanimous opinion demonstrating that the California Supreme Court continues to care about the quality of justice dispensed to indigent litigants.
