Things are changing in the court reporting industry, and CourtScribes offers services that will help clients keep up with the major changes driven by budget cuts, court reporter shortages and new technology.
Although some proceedings in Florida still call for the presence of a traditional stenographer, the profession is being driven by technological change. Courts can no longer afford to have a stenographer in every courtroom and at every hearing, and the shortage of qualified stenographers makes the situation even more difficult.
CourtScribes remains at the forefront of technological changes by combining video, audio, and cloud technology with traditional stenography to offer unparalleled speed and accuracy in its verbatim record keeping.
The company uses professional-level recording systems to bring the most sophisticated digital technology into the private marketplace and provide the highest-quality transcripts, using computer-based digital systems with enhanced features that perform recording functions with convenience, flexibility, and economy.
Electronic recording equipment is overseen by an experienced reporter at all times. The reporter simultaneously takes notes that are time-linked to the corresponding recording, so people involved with the case can instantly find the point in the record where they want to re-listen.
Because primary participants are assigned to separate, discrete sound channels, it’s easy to identify who’s who.
“This voice isolation feature permits a full and accurate transcription of exactly what was said — and who said it — because each channel can be listened to individually,” entrepreneur and professor Barry Unger wrote in a company white paper.
A typical four-channel system individually records the judge, witness, plaintiff’s attorney and defendant’s attorney. When two or more parties talk at the same time, digital reporting captures each voice clearly on its own separate sound channel.
The recording process captures all words exactly as they are spoken without worrying about a person being unable to understand accents or dialects — which can lead to misunderstanding the meaning of testimony — as well as complex medical or technical terms.
Any portion of a recorded proceeding can be played back over audio speakers whenever the judge or counsel requires it. Audio also can be replayed for jurors if they wish to review actual spoken testimony during deliberations.
Counsel can also obtain copies of the actual recording with digital annotations “hot-linked” to the audio so points of interest can be located quickly and efficiently.
Another benefit is that both log notes and audio files are transmitted over the internet, reducing or eliminating shipping costs and delivery delays. Storage and archiving are efficient because audio and log notes are saved as computer files.
Storage and archiving are efficient and compact because there are cassettes to store or reporters’ paper notes to file.
South Dakota is one of the states that’s feeling the effects of the court reporter shortage, according to KELO of 
Attorneys can see the transcript while the trial is still going on, enabling them to quickly change their tactics if need be and strategize how to best question a witness. It also enables them to see clearly what was asked and answered earlier in the trial so they can re-state information if they need clarification.
Part of the problem is that more than a million cases being filed each year, courts are running out of room to file and store the paperwork, and electronic filing will create a more efficient, more accessible system while saving the court system money.
The Commission will review and investigate prosecutorial conduct to address allegations of misconduct which lead to malicious prosecutions and wrongful convictions, frequently impacting people of color and marginalized communities.
