Importance of court reporters A court reporter is an officer of the court. He or she is trained to record proceedings in environments like courts, public hearings, and government meetings. A court reporter job requires skill, accuracy, and the ability to perform under pressure while attending to information even in distracting circumstances. It is expected of them to distance their emotions from their work to be able to reflect the information provided. They won’t be able to do this if they get personally involved in any case.
A court reporter’s job is said to be one of the most difficult jobs of all times. It is very critical for them to stay focused as more often than not they have to listen to disturbing testimony and work in situations that are very emotional. A court reporter also known as stenographer sits close to the proceedings to make sure no words are missed. Variety of technologies like stenograph machines, voice recognition etc are used to create transcripts. Sometimes verbatim speech transcription of real time proceedings is also done. Once the transcripts are completed, they become an official record of the proceedings. A court reporter is a state or county officer of the court
that can swear in witnesses and is appointed by the court. He or she under the court's control and subject to its direction but is not under the control of the attorneys in a lawsuit. The court reporter’s duty is to attend court throughout the entirety of the trial so that the litigants and the court are protected by a complete record of the proceedings. Their notes must comply with the provisions requiring the stenographer to sign the certificate stating that the transcripts are the accurate translation of the evidence, and charges levied against the defendant during the proceedings are recorded. Court reporters make hard copies of the transcripts which actually stand as official record of trial or proceedings if an appeal is requested and required.
Accurate transcription of the proceedings is the key to legal appeals because a single word or phrase is the hinge of the decision of innocence, guilt or the decision of a mistrial. Court reporters must be knowledgeable in legal procedures so they attend specialized schools and work on various aspects before they take full responsibility as a court reporter. Some States require reporters to be experienced and certified or have a bachelor's degree. These court reporters may also be used for depositions and inquiries to produce the exact transcript of information, therefore they must have excellent writing and listening skills as well as accuracy and speed. Court reporters are not just mere stenographers but officers of the court and they are one of the most important parts of any trial, deposition and etc.