Courtroom MVPs: Why it’s Important to Have a Court Reporter Present at Your Proceedings

If you ever find yourself in a court of law, it is integral that you have excellent representation. Your attorney will make all the necessary legal arguments, question witnesses, enter exhibits into evidence, and object on your behalf. They’re a necessary and valuable tool for winning your case.

The Sacramento and Los Angeles appeal attorneys at Kassouni Law understand how frustrating it can be when the desired result is not obtained. However, often, a case does not end at the trial court level. In many cases, erroneous trial court judgments can be reversed on appeal. The strategy for each appellate client at Kassouni Law is twofold. First, our research attorneys develop legal points based on subtle nuances within the law. From there, the appellate litigation team composes and presents clear and forceful arguments in your favor to the appellate court.

But there’s another individual who also plays a key role in every legal proceeding: your court reporter. Their presence is required for a few important reasons:

• A court reporter preserves the spoken word, creating a written record of every word said during a legal proceeding. Formal transcripts are an invaluable tool for lawyers and witnesses, especially when witness testimony is central to an attorney’s argument. Court transcripts provided by a certified reporter preserve and allow detailed cross-examination of a witness with his or her own words.
• Having an accurate transcript of what happened allows appeals judges, among others, to make decisions on a case, from divorces to murder trials. Without a court reporter at your deposition or hearing, it would be extremely difficult to prepare an adequate record for appeal. If it is not in the record, it did not happen.
• They may serve as translators, too. Our team at DLE Court Reporters offer language and translation service for testimony and transcription. The benefit of multilingual, experienced court reporters extends to their ability to translate from one language to another while understanding the legal impact the words may have.
• Court reporters can network everyone involved in the case electronically and in real time by simply connecting their device to a laptop. This additionally aids in virtual, streamed depositions in order to save on travel costs.
• Court reporters record speech at up to 250 words per minute, and can differentiate between different speakers overlapping. Recordings are not as reliable, nor are speech-to-text apps.

From translation to instant read-backs and integrated technology, and, most importantly, the preservation of the official record of proceedings, it is clear that court reporters remain an integral part of the legal system. Without a trusted court reporter, there are no guarantees for an appeal when a case seems unfairly judged.

If you’re looking to hire an on-site reporter to preserve the most accurate account of your case at hand in Miami, look no further than DLE Court Reporters, a fully staffed team of process servers, translators, videographers, and, of course, outstanding court reporters.