One of
the most valuable functions of any court reporter is to provide the court with accurate and timely records. When a court reporter records a deposition, that record, whether it’s in print or on video, plays an incredibly important role in any court case.
The murder case against Jarron Pridgeon was delayed after a court reporter failed to provide the court with transcripts. The resulting complications serve to illustrate what can happen when a court stenographer proves to be unreliable.
Jarron Pridgeon was on trial for murdering five children and his brother when the case came to a screeching halt after court reporter, Mark Woods, failed to provide transcripts. The absence of the transcripts paralyzed the case and almost caused the victims to have to repeat their statements as the transcripts from the preliminary hearing were seemingly missing.
After failing to get a response from Mr. Woods, Muskogee County District Judge Timothy King issued a citation for contempt of court against Mr. Woods. Eventually, the court reporter’s daughter came forward with the transcripts and said that her father hadn’t been able to respond because he was in hospice care.
Upon receiving the transcripts, the citation for contempt of court was rescinded. Although the trial eventually went on, this incident serves to remind legal professionals of the dangers of working with an unreliable court reporter.
Working with a sketchy or unreliable court stenographer isn’t worth the risk of potentially losing transcripts and derailing an entire case. When you work with a professional service like CourtScribes, you’ll never have to worry about missing transcripts.
When you work with a professional court reporting service like CourtScribes, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that your transcripts will always be available when you need them, call today!
