MULTI-TRACK VOICE WRITING - AN EVALUATION OF A NEW COURT REPORTING TECHNIQUE - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• NCJ Number: 13205
• Author(s): J M GREENWOOD; E H SHORT
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-NI-99-0031
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: National Ctr for State Courts
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

EVALUATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF A COURT REPORTING SYSTEM UTILIZING ELECTRONIC RECORDING AND A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED VOICE WRITER.

Abstract

THE VOICE WRITER DICTATES IN COURT THE OFFICIAL VERBATIM RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ON TAPE AND THE VOICES OF PARTICIPANTS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY RECORDED ON THE SAME TAPE. TWENTY APPLICANTS COMPLETED A THREE MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM, AND ACHIEVED EXCELLENT LEVELS OF PROFICIENCY ON SEVERAL STATE AND FEDERAL COURT REPORTER EXAMINATIONS. IN ADDITION, THESE VOICE WRITERS WERE EVALUATED BY JUDGES IN SEVEN STATES, AND JUDICIAL REACTION WAS STRONGLY FAVORABLE. COMPARISON OF VOICE WRITING TO STENOTYPING INDICATED SEVERAL POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES TO VOICE WRITING INCLUDING - (1) LOWER TRANSCRIPT COSTS, (2) FASTER PRODUCTION OF TRANSCRIPTS, (3) FASTER TRAINING AND HIGHER PROFICIENCY LEVELS OF NEW REPORTERS, (4) BETTER COURT CONTROL OF TRANSCRIPT PROCESS, AND (5) INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF THE RECORD. INCLUDED IS A SYLLABUS OF THE TRAINING CURRICULUM AND RECOMMENDED REVISIONS FOR FUTURE TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT MULTI-TRACK VOICE WRITING IS A PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE OFFERING SEVERAL UNIQUE FEATURES TO IMPROVE COURT REPORTING SERVICES BY REDUCING TRANSCRIPT DELAYS WHILE ATTAINING HIGH TRANSCRIPT STANDARDS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)