Court Reporting Firms Provide Key Services for Legal Proceedings

The role of a court reporter can vary and in some instances a videographer is used instead of the traditional stenographic court reporter.  The purpose for this role in the courtroom is to document the dialogue of the participants.  Not only do they record what is said, but they also document any gestures and emotions. 

A San Francisco court reporter has a vital role in the judicial process.  Their job is to produce a transcription of the court proceedings.  This is documented history of what was said, any physical gestures or emotions generated by lawyers, witnesses, defendants, expert witnesses, jurists and even members of the gallery.

In the past, the person performing this job had to type a minimum of 225 words per minute and be very attentive to detail.  Today, technology has taken over the role of recording the court proceedings.  San Francisco realtime court reporting firms provide personnel and equipment suitable for creating a video reproduction of everything that occurs in the courtroom.

A San Francisco court reporter may be an employee of the city, government agency, a private company or work for a law firm.  In fact, some broadcast stations provide a court reporter in order to offer closed captioned transcription services.  These service providers may offer people who are multi-lingual and able to record and translate dialogue in different languages.  Sometimes they travel with a legal team to other countries to provide transcription services.

A court reporter is present in a courtroom or during any legal meeting that requires legal transcription.  These meetings may be depositions, or for arbitrating or mediating a legal dispute.  The court report uses a steno typing machine or works with an electronic voice recorder or voice writer machine.  A videographer records the proceedings using a video recorder. 

When using a steno machine, the court reporter actually types in shorthand.  The transcript is later transcribed to the full script.  When using a voice writing system, the reporter repeats the conversation into an electronic device while identifying the speaker and noting any gestures or emotions.  This type of recording is later transcribed into a text format.

Videography is the most current level of legal reporting.  Legal and professional experts can connect to a secure website to review and watch the recording.  This means a trial that occurs in San Francisco can be recorded by San Francisco Court Reporting Firms.  The recording is streamed across the internet and reviewed by people who have expertise to offer the local case, but who are in a different location.