Online Court Reporting Degrees
Court reporters play an integral role in the legal system by creating accurate recordings and transcripts of legal proceedings, such as trials and hearings. Fingers flying, a court reporter documents everything that is said by attorneys, judges, defendants, plaintiffs and the jury, using a stenographic machine that has just 22 keys. The stenotype machine combines sounds, words and phrases into symbols that are recorded on narrow strips of paper, which are later converted into English by a computer. This process is called computer-aided transcription and is the most common form of court reporting.
Other court reporters specialize in electronic reporting and use sensitive audio equipment to record legal proceedings. Another, less common, form of court reporting is voice writing, wherein the reporter repeats spoken testimony, as well as gestures and emotional reactions, using a voice silencer to record what is being said without allowing it to be heard by others in the courtroom. Written transcripts are usually a requirement of both of these forms of court reporting.
