NCJ Number
61741
Date Published
1979
Length
64 pages
Annotation
THE 20-YEAR SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA IN USING ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTING IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THE ALASKA COURT SYSTEM WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE TIME OF STATEHOOD IN 1960 WHEN ELECTRONIC RECORDING WAS AUTHORIZED AS THE OFFICIAL RECORDING METHOD FOR ALL COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS. PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTING, THE COURT REPORTER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING STENOGRAPHIC NOTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND FOR TYPING AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT WHEN REQUESTED. AS OF 1979, A TYPICAL ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION IN THE COURTROOM INCLUDES A ONE-REEL TAPE RECORDER, SEVEN MICROPHONES, ONE MICROPHONE MIXER, THREE FEEDBACK CONTROLLERS, TWO 4-CHANNEL AMPLIFIERS, TWO CEILING-MOUNTED SPEAKERS, AND ONE HEADSET FOR MONITORING. MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT IS LOCATED NEAR THE INCOURT CLERK WHO HAS ALL CONTROLS AVAILABLE. ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTING IS CHEAPER THAN ITS MANUAL COUNTERPART. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANCHORAGE TRIAL COURT RECORDING SYSTEM ILLUSTRATES THE COSTS, INCLUDING INCOURT CLERK COSTS, TRANSCRIBER COSTS, EQUIPMENT COSTS, SUPPLIES, MAINTENANCE, AND TOTAL COSTS. ALTHOUGH TECHNICAL PROBLEMS INITIALLY PLAGUED THE ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTING SYSTEM, TODAY THE EQUIPMENT'S QUALITY, COMBINED WITH ITS INABILITY TO INTERPRET, EDIT, OR OMIT TESTIMONY, ALLOWS PRODUCTION OF A RECORD SUPERIOR TO THAT PRODUCED MANUALLY. OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM CONSIDERED ARE PERSONNEL TURNOVER AND RESPONSE TIME FOR COPY OF THE RECORD. SPECULATIONS ON THE OPERATION OF ELECTRONIC COURTROOMS ARE PRESENTED FOR THE YEARS 1984, 1989, AND 1994. PHOTOGRAPHS, TABULAR DATA, AND FOOTNOTES SUPPLEMENT THE TEXT. APPENDIXES INCLUDE MATERIAL ON ALASKA COURT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATIVE RULE 47, RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE, EQUIPMENT SELECTION CRITERIA, SOUND REINFORCEMENT, WIRELESS MICROPHONES, COURTROOM CONSTRUCTION, QUALITY CONTROL OF RECORDS, AND LOG NOTES. (PRG)