nervous witnessThese are commonalities in the world of court reporting. The stenographer needs to be able to hear each participant in order to make an accurate and clean record, but it throws off the whole proceeding when they need to intervene. Imagine that you were the attorney, and you were about to get testimony that might make your client’s case. How would you feel if the deposition was suddenly interrupted, the witness had time to regroup, and your key piece evidence was never spoken?
What if court reporting didn’t have to be that way? Digital court reporting is different. Below are 4 things you’ll never hear us say at Naples Reporting.
“One at a time, please.”
Gone are the days of being interrupted in your proceeding. With our ability to isolate each participant on a different channel, heated arguments can ensue and won’t be stopped. Using a multi-track audio recorder, each channel can be played either simultaneously or individually, in order to hear what everyone says and get the most accurate transcript possible. If the witness is speaking and opposing counsel interrupts, the legal transcriber has the ability to isolate the witness to hear what they’re saying, then isolate the attorney to hear them as well.
Being able to speak freely is paramount. Yes, the witness may get rattled, and yes, the attorneys might get into an argument, but think of a deposition as a conversation. You wouldn’t want someone to interrupt a conversation you’re having with a colleague, so why allow the court reporter to interfere with your conversation with a witness?
“Slow down.”
Stenographers can only take down so many words at a time. Many times, the court reporter has to ask the fast-talking attorney or the nervous witness to slow down. This interrupts the flow of the proceeding. Everyone talks at their own pace and everyone adapts differently to stress, sometimes even talking a little faster than they would normally. Being asked to slow down not only interferes with what’s going on, but also affects how you conduct yourself. If the witness is asked to slow down, they may be thinking too much about the speed of their words, and not the answer that they’re giving.
Digital court reporters allow all participants to speak freely and at their own pace, because legal transcribers have the ability to deal with fast-talkers. Our transcription software allows us to adjust the speed and pitch of each voice to enable them to hear everything that was said, while typing at a comfortable speed.
“5 day turnaround? That will be extra.”
We know you’ve all been there. You’ve just deposed a witness, you’re going to trial in a week, and you need that transcript asap. Most court reporters have a standard 10 day turnaround, and any transcript needed before then is going to cost you, big time.
With the efficiency of digital court reporting, we’re able to cut turnaround time in half. Here at Naples Reporting, standard turnaround time is only 5 days. And no, that’s not going to cost you extra. With the ability to utilize multiple transcriberson a single proceeding, we’re able to get the transcript to the client quickly, without charging them an arm and a leg. We understand that timing is everything. We also understand that 10 business days is too long to wait for a transcript.
“I’m sorry, but my audio is work product.”
How many times have you been reading through a transcript and come across something that didn’t sound quite the way you remember hearing it? You call the court reporter and ask to listen to the questionable testimony on their backup audio, and they politely decline. They explain to you that their audio is work product, and if you wish to listen to it, you’ll have to get a subpoena.
At Naples Reporting, we believe in transparency. That’s why we not only openly list our pricing on our website, we also offer complimentary audio with any transcript ordered. It’s a natural phenomenon for some people to remember the feeling of a deposition more than the actual words. Other times, the witness misspeaks and while everyone in the room knows what they meant, on paper it may look to the contrary.
There have been a few times when our transcripts were questioned, and in replaying the audio for the attorney, our transcripts were correct (every time). Making our audio available to the attorney gives them the peace of mind in knowing that whenever they need to consult the audio, it’s there. It also adds a bit of convenience to those trying to prepare while driving. It’s a lot easier to play the audio through your car stereo than to read a transcript.
So, the next time you’re in the market for a court reporter, ask yourself these questions:
- Why do stenographers hold their audio as privileged work-product? What don’t they want you to hear?
- How much of an argument is lost when a stenographer can only take down one voice at a time? Just because a transcript doesn’t have “inaudibles” doesn’t mean that everything is there.
- What could have been said before a court reporter interrupted the witness?
At your next deposition, feel what it’s like to speak at your own pace. Know that the transcript is backed by broadcast-quality audio. Pay a fair price for a great product. Choose Naples Reporting, where court reporting is redefined.
