Why a Live Court Reporter is Important

Why a Live Court Reporter is Important

With the technology available today, it seems like an obvious choice to take advantage of it. After all, it can save you money in the short-term. However, technology can sometimes be unreliable. That is why a live court reporter is important. Here at Constance Lee & Company, we are a court reporting agency that can assist your team of lawyers from pre-trial all the way to verdict.

Our principles can take your services to the next level. We pride ourselves on accuracy, reliability, and support. The same can’t be said of today’s technology. Below are some examples of how the lack of a live court reporter can be detrimental to a case. We want to help you avoid these situations.

Live Court Reporter

Electronic Recording Devices Produce More Errors

In 2010, Appellants from New Jersey filed appeal No. 09-2356, requiring several motions to correct the record. The appeal claimed to have identified around 10,000 inaccuracies between trial and sidebar transcripts. Because of this, the District Court has not been able to review the audio containing testimonies from key government witnesses.

In the end, a computer expert was brought in to decipher the tapes. Unfortunately, there is no way to be certain the expert got everything right. There were also several audio discs lost during the trial. With a live courtroom stenographer, these issues of accuracy and reliability do not come into question. Court reporter training keeps us sharp and ready to help you win your case.

A Judge’s Perspective on the Issue

The above-mentioned statements were proven true by Judge-Elect Rick Davis of Bryan, TX. He compared three cases to determine which way of recording would produce fewer errors. Here are his findings.

  1. In State v Smith, which was electronically recorded, there were 171 errors over the course of 717 pages.
  2. State v Nutall was also electronically recorded. In this case, there were 45 errors out of the total 304 pages.
  3. Compare these two cases to State V. Robinson. They used a court reporter for nine transcript volumes, a total of 1,288 pages. There were only eight inaudibles/errors.

Here at Constance Lee & Company, our Pittsburgh court reporters can help your depositions and court recordings have as few errors as possible. In the end, this will lead to a clearer case. We want to give you the best chance at winning.

Electronic Recording Devices Can Lead to Mistrials

Across the country, there are ample cases of a mistrial due to recording failure. That is why live court reporters are needed nationwide. Take this case below as an example:

In 2007, a plaintiff from New Jersey may have missed out on $560,000. Because of a recording failure, this medical malpractice suit was declared a mistrial.

No one wants to lose money because of a simple technological error. That is why a live courtroom reporter can really help your team put their best case forward.

Electronic Recording Devices Can Prolong Cases

Clients can get frustrated when a case is taking too long to conclude. If you use a court reporter, you can reduce your chances of unnecessary delays. Video depositions and courtroom transcripts are safe with us. Perhaps a live reporter could have helped with this case in Portland, OR:

In Feb. 2004, several tapes went missing or were inaudible. One of the tapes included a key witness testimony for a 2003 murder case.

Attorneys who are at the fate of these errors feel their clients’ rights are being violated. In addition, the loss of these files contributes to the unwarranted delay of cases. Let us help you make your client feel heard. A live reporter can assist in giving your client a fair and speedy trial. Constance Lee & Company can assist you in avoiding these hassles while obtaining reliable court reporting. Contact us today to learn more!

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