Some federal courts no longer require the services of live court reporters for government cases, so you’re thinking of scrapping the expense. After all, if the state doesn’t think court reporters are necessary, why should you carry the burden of hiring and paying for one?
Three Benefits of Using Recordings and Court Reporters in Federal Case Proceedings
As some attorneys have discovered the hard way, audio recordings of court proceedings are only cost-effective if everything goes off without a hitch—which it rarely does. Consider how combining the benefits of digital recording technology and the simple standby of a live court reporter can save your client at every stage of your case, including:
- Before. Depositions may follow a standard question and answer format, but this is rarely a straightforward exchange. The opposing attorney may ask a long, convoluted question intended to confuse or provoke conflicting information—or cause the witness to forget what the original question was. If a witness asks for the question to be repeated, a digital recording system must be stopped and played back (and while it is playing, it is no longer preserving the record). If a court reporter is present, he or she can read the question back easily, allowing the recording to continue creating a clean master copy of the proceedings.
- During. In cases where witnesses are hostile and discussions are heated, it can be difficult to prevent witnesses from talking over one another. Even with separate microphones, it can be hard to sort out who is saying what, leading to a potentially incriminating misquote. Without a court reporter present to stop the proceedings and clarify the record, the audio file will be confusing at best, inadmissible at worst.
- After. A judge may request a partial transcript in order to make a ruling in your case. Without a court reporter, this means going back to the master recording of the entire trial, finding the portion the judge needs, isolating the section of testimony, and creating a transcript as quickly as possible. However, a federal court reporter transcribes the entire hearing, allowing the judge to simply request the portion of testimony directly from the reporter without delays.
At Casamo & Associates, we can provide both the certified court reporters and the recording technology you need to ensure you don’t miss a word in your case, federal or otherwise. Visit our Online Scheduler page today to let us know what services you require.
