ALBANY – With sharp criticism for the Public Employment Relations Board, an appellate panel in Albany yesterday overturned a finding that the Unified Court System engaged in an improper practice when it sought to regulate the laissez-faire market for transcripts.
The Appellate Division, Third Department, criticized PERB’s “outmoded and simplistic” position and its disregard for the court system’s “broader mission of assuring timely and affordable access to justice.” In a 5-0 opinion, the justices agreed that court administrators acted properly in 1997 when they adopted fee guidelines in an effort to exert some control over the unregulated sale of transcripts by reporters employed by the state.
