Month: August 2018
Fingers on Fire
FINGERS ON FIRE
To the average person, someone who can type over 100 words
per minute is considered to have fast fingers. For stenotype court reporters,
that’s a snail’s pace. Stenotypists, who type on a special shorthand keyboard,
must type more than 225 words per minute, accurately, on a regular basis to
perform their duties.
Some court reporters like a challenge, such as Mark
Klingsbury. The Houston-based court reporter has been in the profession for
more than 35 years, and has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records
since 1984 as the fastest court reporter in the world. He clocked in at 360
words per minute to achieve that title.
Recently Klingsbury competed in a realtime competition at
the National Court Reporters Association convention in New Orleans, where his
accuracy was over 99 percent. Realtime court reporters provide attorneys,
witnesses, and judges with a live feed of what they’re transcribing, which can
be useful in a complex trial setting, where a judge might need to review exactly
what was said before ruling on a motion. Not all court reporters are certified
to provide realtime services, but those who are can command a premium for their services.
He still wants to go faster. He told a reporter for WGNO that
he’s working to break 370 or 380 words per minute in the next few years, and
used his platform to bring attention to the need for court reporters. “There’s
a big demand. There are jobs
everywhere. Very highly paid too. You can make between $60,000 and $70,000 in
your first year. The money is good. The job satisfaction is good. The job is challenging, so not everyone can
do it, but that’s why we get paid so well,” he said.
Legal Media Experts
can provide a realtime court reporter for your deposition or hearing. Use our
online scheduling tool today or call 800-446-1387!
Judge Takes County to Task
Judge Takes County to
Task Over Sweltering Courtrooms
Complications in courtroom proceedings can make people a
little hot under the collar. In one Detroit courthouse last week, everyone was
hot under the collar when the temperature inside the building reached 90
degrees.
A thunderstorm knocked out electricity to the Lincoln Hall
of Justice, and a massive generator was brought in to run the lights. Portable
“chiller” units were brought in to provide air conditioning, but they
didn’t work. It was so hot inside the building that children who were being
transported to the courthouse for hearings had to wait for hours in air-conditioned
vans in the parking lot because the holding cells were too hot.
County officials had no solution except to cancel court the
next day. One fed-up judge took to Facebook to vent her frustrations, pointing
out that in addition to the disservice cancelation does to the public, it
doesn’t help the hundreds of employees who were still expected to work in the
sweltering building. She wrote:
“It is a shame
that we have to continue to work in these conditions. It is even more shameful
that we ask the public to come to court and sit in crowded hallways of a
terrible building with no air.
“The remedy: we can
cancel our dockets. But how does this serve the public? My clerk can’t leave,
my sheriff can’t leave, my court reporter can’t leave. And more importantly,
the people who have cases today would be unfairly disadvantaged b/c they have
made their way to the court only to find out that the judge canceled the docket
because it was too hot. People want their kids returned to their care,
their kids released from placement, a chance to address bond, they want their
cases heard.”
Unfortunately, fixing the air conditioning won’t solve the problem.
Court staff say the building has major electrical issues, is in disrepair, and
the county has no plans to renovate or move to a different building. After the
judge’s social media posts, though, it wouldn’t be surprising if the condition
of court facilities or access to justice for all residents of Detroit becomes a
big local issue.
Massachusets Does Away with Court Reporters
Massachusetts Does
Away With Court Reporters
As of the end of June, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has
“scrapped” its court reporters and is now almost solely using digital
recording systems in its courtrooms.
In the midst of a nationwide court reporter shortage,
multiple states have faced tough decisions regarding methods of capturing the
official courtroom record. Massachusetts court officials say the shortage had
nothing to do with their decision. They began placing digital recording systems
in courtrooms in 2009, and this year’s move was an upgrade and expansion of
that system.
Some prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys look at the
move with skepticism, as reported in the Boston
Globe:
“Our main concern is that we have a
complete and accurate record of everything that is said in a courtroom without
any mistakes, because one error or an unnoticed malfunctioning
of a taping system can do irreparable harm,” said Melissa Dineen, a managing
director in the public defenders division at the Committee for Public Counsel
Services.
Norfolk District Attorney Michael
Morrissey said court reporters interrupt when they can’t hear clearly and ask
speakers to repeat themselves. If a proceeding gets interrupted, court
reporters can quickly read back the last question, he said.
“The electronic devices have been
getting better over the years but I don’t believe they are a substitute for
court reporters,” said Morrissey.
Other attorneys expressed concerns that the digital system
could malfunction without anyone noticing, or that witnesses shuffling papers
or talking over attorneys could create an inaudible portion of the record.
Court officials have hired “court monitors” who
will operate the recording equipment and monitor it for any malfunctions. The
average annual salary for a court monitor is approximately $18,000 a year less
than a court reporter’s salary. Court administrators are able to assign court
reporters to some criminal proceedings, including murder or rape trials. In
that instance the independent court reporter would be paid a per diem of
$250.64, $80 less than a salaried court reporter’s daily rate.
Martin Healy, chief legal counsel for the Massachusetts Bar
Association, said he was “initially alarmed by the decision to phase out
court reporters, but has been convinced over many years and many meetings that
the system was working.”
Digital court reporters are being increasingly used in
courtrooms and deposition suites, and with good reason. The bottom line is that
the skill and professionalism of the reporter capturing the record is more important
than the method used.
At Legal Media Experts, we proudly utilize the latest
technology in stenotype, voice writing, and digital court reporting to ensure
an accurate record. Schedule your deposition or hearing online today.