NCJ Number
2095
Date Published
1971
Length
136 pages
Annotation
THE EXPERIENCE GAINED IN THE LABORATORY AND IN THE COURTROOM HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT COMPUTER-AIDED TRANSCRIPTION FOR COURT REPORTING PURPOSES IS FEASIBLE.
Abstract
THE SPECIFIC SYSTEM TESTED IS CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO A NUMBER OF DEFICIENCIES AND SOME INEFFICIENCY. ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM MAY NOT BE READILY COMPATIBLE WITH THE WRITING STYLES OF ALL REPORTERS, COMPUTER TRANSLATION OFFERS THE POTENTIAL OF A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE SAVING OF TIME IN HIGH VOLUME TRANSCRIPT PRODUCTION, PROVIDED THAT SOME COMPROMISE IN APPEARANCE (BUT NOT ACCURACY) OF THE RECORD IS ACCEPTABLE. FIRST RUN COMPUTER COPY MUST CURRENTLY UNDERGO EXTENSIVE PROOFREADING AND A COSTLY, TIME-CONSUMING EDITING PROCEDURE TO ACHIEVE TRADITIONAL STANDARDS OF TYPED COPY NEATNESS. BASED ON THIS STUDY, TWO RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE - (1) FURTHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS SHOULD BE SUPPORTED TO REMEDY DEFICIENCIES OF CURRENT COMPUTER TRANSCRIPT TECHNIQUES AND TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITY FOR PREPARING COURT TRANSCRIPTS. (2) CONSIDERATION MAY BE GIVEN TO USING A COMPUTER SYSTEM AS AN INTERIM MEASURE TO RELIEVE EXCESSIVE TRANSCRIPT BACKLOGS, BUT SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE COMPUTER HARDWARE, SELECTION AND TRAINING OF REPORTERS, IMPROVED EDITING TECHNIQUES, AND JUDICIAL ACCEPTANCE OF CERTIFIED, HAND-CORRECTED TRANSCRIPT, PERHAPS CHARACTERIZED BY LOSS OF NEATNESS, BUT NOT IN READABILITY NOR IN ACCURACY. FOR ACCESS TO DECISION FACTORS, A SUMMARY OF STATE LAWS AND AN ANNOTATED LIST OF REFERENCES FOR THIS STUDY, SEE NCJ 002094, 002096, 002097 RESPECTIVELY.