Why Are Court Reporters Necessary?
In the 21st century, there are mountains of choices in hardware and software that can record and even transcribe the human voice. Why, then, you may ask, are court reporters still so essential to the legal process? For one, voice recording and recognition technology are nowhere near capable of detecting the subtle nuances of human speech. How many times have you spoken a command to your smartphone, only to have it completely misinterpret what you’ve said? The human ear, or more accurately, the human mind, is the most careful and precise analyst when it comes to human speech patterns.
In the courtroom, this can mean a difference in verdict or judicial interpretation. If a lawyer says to a witness, “you did it,” this phrase can be read any number of ways. It takes the accurate ear and linguistic knowledge of a court reporter, like those at Capital Reporting Company, to understand the subtleties of that simple, three word phrase. Was it a statement (“You did it.”) or a question (“You did it?”) and on which word did the emphasis fall? These are all inflections that the skilled, experienced ear of a Washington DC court reporter might catch.
Additionally, court reporters are able to accurately interpret other small variations within a language such as accents, speed, or sudden switches between English and one’s native tongue. Especially in a cosmopolitan area like the District of Columbia, Washington DC court reporting relies on trained ears and insightful analytical minds. The list of uses for an accurate human reporter goes on, but let us focus on one of the most important: written record. At the end of the day, judges rely heavily on the detailed written records that court reporters produce. When sound volume and technology fail, judges need reliable transcription of the day’s events.
Court reporting is still a painstaking and highly valued task. Even as courtrooms across the country and in Washington DC cut costs, court reporters are still seen as indispensable within the judicial system. This is why awards for excellence in court reporting are still allocated, such as the “Best Court Reporting Service” award which Capital Reporting Company received from the Legal Times in 2013.
None of this is to say, however, that courtrooms or court reporters do not embrace technology. With today’s electronic advances, computers can instantly translate stenotype shorthand to provide judges with courtroom notes in real time. Combine that with the accuracy and experience of our Washington DC Court Reporters for the most accurate recording of your legal proceedings. Contact us or schedule your Washington DC court reporter here for courtroom transcription with unmatched accuracy.
