HISTORICAL
MOMENTS IN CCRA
1964 EVENTS SHAPING CCRA
by John D. Boverie, RDR
Boverie Jackson
Busby & La
Fera
Although
CCRA began around 1910 as CSRA (Colorado Shorthand Reporters Association), my
acquaintance with CCRA began in 1964 when I became employed by the 18th Judicial
District in Littleton. In those days there were only two divisions in Littleton,
two in Brighton, three in Golden, and less than ten in Denver.
The
CCRA membership in those days totaled less than 100. The vast majority of
reporters were officials, with only a few freelance reporters.
In
the fall elections of 1963, what was known as Amendment 1 passed. The effect of
this amendment was to abolish what had been the old Justice of Peace court
system, to merge the old county and district courts into a new unified court
system, to create a new county court, and to create some 25 or so new judgeships
for the new system, with the concomitant need for new staff members, especially
court reporters. Originally the new county courts were allowed to either hire
live reporters or to use tape recording systems. Thus, in total, some 35 new
reporters were needed before the unified court system could begin July 1, 1964.
Faced
with a shortage of reporters locally, Otto Ulrich, president of CSRA, and the
CSRA Board of Directors started a major reporter recruitment drive, soliciting
applicants from across the entire United States. Applicants came from many
states.
In
1964 (enacted by the legislature in 1925), there was a mandatory certification
testing program for the new court reporters, resulting in large numbers of
applicants sitting for both the 1964 spring and fall CSR tests. Out of the
applicants, all reporter positions were timely filled. As
well, many new freelance reporters arrived and the freelance community expanded.
This
resulted in CCRA doubling in size in three years. CCRA
benefited greatly from the increased membership and the resulting availability
of new board, officer, and committee applicants.
John
D. Boverie, RDR
Boverie
Jackson Busby & La Fera | 
