A court stenographer transcribes testimony in court and other proceedings using shorthand machines or voice mask signaling. They rely on audio and video recordings to authenticate their transcripts and may require certification. They are valuable for real-time reporting and can be questioned by judges and attorneys.
A court stenographer is a person who transcribes testimony in court, meeting, and other proceedings where a detailed and accurate transcript is needed for future reference. The transcript contains not only a verbatim account of everything said, including interjections and stammers, but also descriptions of gestures and emotional reactions. In addition to serving in the justice system, court stenographers can prepare real-time transcripts for broadcasts and are present for deposition and any other event where a transcript may be needed.
Court stenographers may use a number of tools in their craft. Historically, they used shorthand to generate a manual transcript, examining it after the process to expand the shorthand into a human-readable transcript. Court stenographers today may use a shorthand machine, a special device that allows the stenographer to write in shorthand, generating a record of the case that can be expanded into a transcript later. Some machines transcribe automatically, generating a real-time tape of each keystroke and a transcript, which the stenographer will later review for accuracy.
Others can record the proceedings and generate a transcript from that, or they can use voice mask signaling, where they speak into a muted microphone and a computer transcribes the speech into text. In all cases, stenographers rely on audio and video recordings of the classroom to authenticate their transcripts, confirming the accuracy of the information. A second court stenographer may also review the data to ensure it is complete.
In court, a court stenographer who runs real-time reports can be extremely valuable. The judge and lawyers can ask the stenographer to proofread part of the transcript, for example, in the event of a dispute. Real-time capability is also important for subtitles of live broadcasts, to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing people can easily follow the proceedings.
Training for the job of a court stenographer requires taking courses to learn about different shorthand techniques and develop practical skills. The job may also require certification as a notary public or similar public official, so that the stenographer can certify their transcripts as accurate and complete for legal purposes. Stenographers can be an invaluable part of the court team as they are aware of the basic rules of legal procedure and follow the case very closely as part of their job. The judge or attorneys can question the stenographer if they have any questions relating to the proceedings.
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