Court Reporting Board of Arizona Proposes to Cut Ethics From Code

[Lisa Migliore Black]

http://blog.courtreportersaz.com/2013/09/16/court-reporting-board-o...

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Yeah, I agree:  Ridiculously argumentative, and the personal jabs are not at all informative.

[Sharon Smith]

Just passing this along.    http://www.universalcourtreporting.com

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

I have tried contacting you. Before I respond, do you have anything to say?

[Martha R]

"I saw Universal Court Reporting price lists and was amazed at the savings - and at what they are giving away!"

And all the court reporters must be hot.   Oh, and are they are giving away free cookies? How about sexual favors?  Oh, right, hookers can make more money elsewhere.

"Schedule your settings today and pay only $3.80 per page with FREE Audio + FREE Video!"

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

I am truly embarrassed and insulted to have this kind of horsepucky to deal with that Martha addresses. :(

Instead, here's the input that I think helps us all: How smart of this agency to offer iPads in the Florida market where the attorneys ARE KNOWN FOR not ordering transcripts.

This offer with iPads might just encourage these Florida attorneys to order transcripts where they wouldn't have otherwise; and those orders might then benefit not only the agency but also THE COURT REPORTER and also the neighborhood by extension.

Did you ever think of that, Martha and Lisa Migliore? Did you ever think of others' needs instead of your own?

[Martha R]

It seems an unlikely scenario, Lisa, that any good can come out of the cheapening of services to this extent.  That is totally magical thinking to think that.  It's a clever argument about Florida not ordering and then the attempt at accusing someone of being selfish.  Sorry.  I am not falling for it.

[Lisa Migliore Black]

I do think of someone else:  THE LITIGANT.  For goodness sake, if the attorney doesn't need a transcript, why would the litigant want to pay thousands of dollars for services they don't need only for the attorney (and a paralegal and a secretary) to receive a free gift?

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

It's not that I'm accusing you of being selfish; it's that I'm accusing you of not seeing the big picture; you guys only look at a small portion of it. That's my opinion, anyway. And, Lisa, your worrying so much about the litigant, when you've admitted to self-interest in this issue, is not something I personally believe at all. Funny how you only see the conflict of interest and "appearance of impropriety" when it benefits you.

[Sharon Smith]

I apologize for putting this link on this thread - supposed to be on "Have You Ever Heard Of" thread where not as much fussing going on.  If I could move it, I would. I certainly did not intend to add fuel to THIS fire; it's burning well by itself.

LB - .."only for the attorney to receive a gift.."  One would think the attorney would have high enough integrity not to order a transcript unnecessarily - blame the attorney, not the C/R - that's an issue with their attorney.

It would be helpful if folks would clarify in their posts whether they have first-hand knowledge of these things, or if they are just speculating. Some of these posts make your comments appear to be the TRUTH, which you are bound by, as opposed to mere speculation.

LB - do you have first-hand knowledge & personal experience with this - if so, what firm is doing this:

Discounts are offered across multiple cases after often credited quarterly when certain dollar thresholds are met, which does not constitute a case-by-case basis

MARTHA - do you have first-hand knowledge & personal experience with this? They probably have fewer working hours, too. :) 

"...hookers can make more money elsewhere.."

While I don't agree with offering iPads, I certainly don't think it "cheapens" our services.  Airlines giving frequent flyers miles doesn't make flying any less safe (and they are under strict Gov. rules much more than a C/R).  2 for 1 or discount coupons for grocery store doesn't make the product less safe.  If your plumber or electrician gives you a discount because you give him so much business, does that lessen the quality of his workmanship?  So explain how it "cheapens" our services, please.  Next time you use your frequent flyer miles, or a coupon in the grocery store, or buy an item "on sale", think twice, you may be cheapening yourself. :)

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Sharon, I was replying to Lisa O's statement that clearly framed that such gifts would promote attorneys ordering transcripts in a market where it is common knowledge that there are a lot of hold orders.  Pharmaceutical companies have similar restraints on their marketing practices, again, because of the appearance of impropriety for exactly this reason:  Legislators thought it important to protect against even the appearance of impropriety of doctors being incentivized to prescribe one medication over another that might be better for a patient or from prescribing medications that patients didn't need at all for their own personal gain. 

The ABA and many state have ethics rules regarding vendor gifts (ABA clearly addressed the issue of frequent flyer miles) and the necessary oversight of their staff who also might receive these gifts.

 

[Sharon Smith]

Well, I'm still getting email alerts on this thread...guess I need to click the thingy again :):)

What did the ABA say exactly & please post link if you have it?  I ask because Discovery Litigation is still offering frequent flyer miles to firms. www.discoverylit.com

What similar restraints do pharmaceutical companies employ & which ones do this specifically? Explain. I ask because every single time I take my dad to the doctor you meet a drug salesman coming in or out of the doctor's office!!  They DO give the doctors free/samples of medications to give their patients - I have first-hand knowledge of that because they give them to my dad!!  So I would love to know which companies supposedly employ these restraints so I can check into it and file a complaint against them. Seriously!  I can say that, from my personal experience, 9 out of 10 times the doctor will give my dad some free sample of something to try.  Plus, we have an upscale restaurant locally and 2 or 3 times a year pharmaceutical companies will host a dinner for the local physicians and pharmacists, as a marketing tool.  Again, first-hand knowledge because I have met some of these drug reps hosting these dinners!

Well, as far as Lisa's statement, it may be accurate.  I have Florida reporters on my referral list when my clients need a FL reporter and they're always complaning about non orders & trying to come up with a solution to try to get more transcript orders out of FL attorneys.  But, the buck stops with the attorney & their ethics - if they don't need it, they shouldn't order it.  The C/R has no way to know if they need it.  What are you going to do, tell him you don't think he needs it & you're not going to sell him a copy?

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Sharon, I think you're confusing a couple of issues.  Samples are not the issue.  Expensive dinners may be. 

There are many articles available online regarding the pharmaceutical gifting practices:  Here's one.  I noted that they referred to anti-kickback statutes, i.e., bribes.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2811591/

 

ABA:  https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1769019/American%20Bar%20Associ...