Court reporters carry a lot of responsibility with our jobs. We need to do a lot of things that may not be noticeable to those who may merely be observing a trial or a hearing, but if we don’t perform at an appropriate level the entire legal process can be compromised. We understand this reality and at Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC, we embrace it enthusiastically. The better all court reporters are at our jobs, the better the legal system runs. We thought we’d take a few minutes to introduce people to just five of the different ways in which court reporters will quietly bring about stability and order to a courtroom.
1. Transcribing the Proceedings
The most obvious task court reporters handle is to transcribe everything that’s said in a trial or a hearing. People may not hear us often, but we are able to get every word down on the electronic page so that when the litigators need to review the situation they can do so knowing that they are studying an accurate record.
2. Organizing the Periodic Chaos
Anyone who has spent any time in a courtroom understands that these situations can become quite hectic very quickly. When arguments get heated, attorneys can begin to talk over each other, and this may require a judge to interrupt the litigators to calm things down. Witnesses can also become agitated, and all of this needs to be transcribed in a way that makes sense when someone reviews the record later.
3. Clarifying Responses
Courtrooms are not only hectic at times, but they can also quickly become scenes of intense emotion. Witnesses can find themselves struggling to articulate answers, and what they say is often accompanied by grunts, groans or even tears. Court reporters are able to filter out and contextualize those other noises and get the words that are said recorded properly.
4. Read-backs
While this is a scene that is often overly dramatized in Hollywood, the situation does arise relatively regularly where a court reporter will need to read back an answer that was previously given. Not only must the court reporter find that answer quickly, but he or she must also read it back clearly and loudly enough to be heard.
5. Making the Record Available
If there was never a need to review the transcript of a trial or a hearing, then there would be no need for court reporters. People in this profession need to make sure that when they leave the courtroom, they prepare the transcript in a quick and efficient manner so that those who may need it can have it in front of them soon if not almost immediately.
If you are a litigator or someone who may have a need to have a record transcribed, you need to keep all of these tasks in mind and make sure that someone with skill and experience is handling them. If you’d like to learn more about how the Georgia court reporters at Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC, can help you, contact us today for answers to your questions.
