Superior Court warns Windows 11 upgrade has halted courtroom recordings; judge may seek emergency funds

A Superior Court judge told county budget officials on the record that courtroom recording systems began failing after an upgrade to Windows 11 and that the court may ask the county for emergency funds if the vendor cannot restore service quickly.

The judge said court recording systems in three courtrooms “start and then it goes offline and quits recording,” and reported one hearing was recorded only on a cellphone after the system failed. “The rules require the judges to ensure that a good record is made,” the judge added, saying he could not certify a record for hearings while the system remains unreliable.

Why it matters: County courtrooms rely on digital recordings for the official record of hearings and trials. Repeated failures during proceedings could require stopping hearings, completing work without an official electronic record, or buying temporary equipment — all of which carry legal and budget implications.

Officials said the county’s contracted integrator, Matrix, performed the Windows 11 upgrade, and that Jazz (the vendor supplying FTR recording systems) is working on the problem. The judge said the original installation was paid partly with a roughly $45,000 grant during the COVID period and that Jazz is based in Louisville. He urged county leaders to escalate the support ticket and said the court may need the county to appropriate emergency funds to fly Jazz technicians in from Louisville if remote fixes fail.

County staff confirmed they have contacted both Matrix and Jazz and that Jazz was working on the issue. Officials discussed whether older Windows 10 machines existed that could be reinstalled temporarily; the judge said replacements were no longer available from the vendor and urged faster escalation. The judge also stressed the operational disruption: “I’m about to cancel court till I get it fixed.”

Discussion vs. decision: The budget session documented a discussion and warning from the judge and staff updates that Jazz was working on the issue. No formal emergency appropriation was approved at the meeting; commissioners and council members said they would revisit the request if the vendor cannot restore reliable recordings. The judge asked staff to notify the commission if emergency funding becomes necessary.

The budget office said it will follow up on vendor status and provide cost estimates before any appropriation request. If an emergency appropriation is requested, commissioners would need to act at a subsequent meeting.

Ending: County officials said they will monitor vendor progress and that the court will delay proceedings only as a last resort. The judge declined to certify affected hearings until a reliable recording is restored.