NCJ Number
157984
Editor(s)
J Thieme
Date Published
1994
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Because technological advances in audio and video recording have called into question whether reliance on traditional court reporters represents the most efficient way to record court proceedings, circumstances under which various technologies could be used most effectively in Wisconsin were examined.
Abstract
In assessing technological choices, two parts of the court reporting process (making a record of court proceedings and transcribing the record into a written document) were considered. It was found that most court reporters use a shorthand machine to record phonetic symbols for all statements made. If a transcript is subsequently requested, these symbols are translated into English. On a cost basis, audio recording can be substantially less expensive than a traditional court reporter. A complete audio recording system costs about $3,400 to $6,000, plus about $2,000 yearly for maintenance and audio tapes. In contrast, a court reporter in Wisconsin costs an average of $46,600 per year. Video systems appear to offer no advantage over audio systems, and video systems are far more expensive. Benefits of audio recording and computer-aided transcription are discussed. An appendix contains a response to the evaluation of transcription technology by Wisconsin's Director of State Courts. 1 figure