Court Reporters and Deposition Services

Although most people believe that court reporters spend all their time in a court room, the bulk of their professional activity is much more likely to take place in a conference room at a law firm. That’s because deposition services, and not in-trial proceedings is the leading reason why court reporters are in such constant demand.

How a Court Reporter aids in a Deposition

·    By providing a written record of testimony. Every deposition is valuable to the advance of that given court case, and since witnesses cannot be brought in again and again to repeat what they have said, the written record created by the court reporter must speak for them.

·    By preparing a record to be used in court. If the witness being deposed is unable to appear in court, the transcript created by the court reporter will be used instead. These documents are also use to corroborate testimony during a trial. Say for example a witness is brought before the judge. They make statements that differ from those given during the deposition. Counsel is able to point out the discrepancies thanks to the written record.

·    To certify any document presented as evidence during a deposition. Many court reporters are also notaries, meaning they can make any deposition-related documentation official in the eyes of the court. This may include evidence, statements and even the transcript of the deposition itself. (NOTE: Ask you court reporting services beforehand if the court reporter they are sending out is currently a notary public.)

 Other Deposition-Related Court Reporting Services

 One of the fastest growing legal services is Videography, and it comes into play often with depositions. More and more attorneys are choosing to videotape their depositions for the record, or use later in court. Sensing a shift in demand, court reporting services have brought in expert video camera operators to shoot and edit these depositions.

Translation and interpreter services are also offered by many court reporting services and can provide benefits for those who need to depose individuals who may not speak English as their first language (or at all). The same accuracy and speed is required of bi-lingual court reports as they must not only comprehend the second language being spoken, but create a transcript of it as well.

Millions of depositions take place in the United States each year, and for each one there is likely to be a court reporter present to create a flawless record of what is said. It is just one of the myriad ways that a court reporter provides the backbone of the legal record.