COURT REPORTER'S VIEW OF ELECTRONIC RECORDERS

• NCJ Number: 34618
• Journal: Judicature Volume: 51 Issue: 9 Dated: (APRIL 1968) Pages: 340-343
• Author(s): J J COVEL
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: American Judicature Soc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CRITIQUE OF THE USE OF TAPE RECORDERS IN COURT TO PROVIDE A RECORD FOR APPEAL.

Abstract

IT IS SUGGESTED THAT TAPE RECORDINGS ARE A POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR THE COURT REPORTER. TAPES MUST BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE TYPIST WHO TRANSCRIBES THEM AT A LATER DATE. SLURRED SPEECH, EXTRANEOUS NOISES, AND INDISCERNIBLE WORDS OFTEN MAKE THIS TASK DIFFICULT. THE EXPERIENCES OF ALASKA AND TENNESSEE WITH RECORDERS ARE RELATED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TYPE OF REPORTING. ANOTHER DANGER PRESENT IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT SENSITIVE MICROPHONES WILL INTRUDE ON CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN LAWYER AND CLIENT AT COUNSEL TABLE, THUS VIOLATING THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE. FINALLY, IT IS CONTENDED THAT ELECTRONIC RECORDINGS COST MORE THAN SHORTHAND REPORTING, SINCE HIGHLY SKILLED TECHNICAL PERSONNEL ARE NEEDED TO MONITOR MACHINERY AND MANY TYPIST-TRANSCRIBERS MUST BE HIRED TO PRODUCE FINISHED TRANSCRIPTS.