Magna Legal Services provides real-time court reporting to help you review and refer back to a hearing or trial transcript instantly. With real-time court reporting, you don’t need to incur a delay waiting to note exactly what happened and how you should respond. Realtime court reporting allows you to work effectively and efficiently with your Austin attorneys. This service helps you keep your case on track and meet all necessary deadlines, and it minimizes the wait time for a resolution.
What is Realtime Court Reporting?
Realtime court reporting is the instant translation of a court reporter’s writing on a stenotype, or shorthand machine, into English. A stenotype has 22 keys that write out numbers, phrases, and words. Today’s stenotypes incorporate real-time software, which translates the reporter’s coded phrases using an English-language dictionary. The information then appears as regular English on a computer screen, and you can also project the transcript onto screens in the courtroom if needed. A stenotype can also be connected to the computers of the attorneys and judge in the courtroom. This instantaneously and simultaneously provides all relevant parties with a digital transcript of the procedure.
The Many Benefits of Realtime Court Reporting
Real-time feed assists a case management team to better track witness testimony. It also assists with evaluating the objections of opposing counsel, and it lets attorneys not present in the courtroom — but who may be assisting with litigation — the opportunity to react immediately. The real-time feed provides instant verification of the structuring of questioning and witness testimony. This helps attorneys in and out of court determine what objections to make and what questions to ask during direct or cross-examination. The attorneys on the case can focus on the proceedings rather than spending in-court time making and reviewing detailed notes.
Realtime Court Reporting Creates an Instant Transcript
An instant transcript is an immediately available and searchable digital document that allows attorneys to review and understand what has happened in court. With an instant transcript, an attorney can easily search for and find key bits of information using a keyword or phrase to bring up the exact words that a witness used to describe an alibi witness, the damage done by a faulty product, or the location of an incident.
An instant transcript benefits judges as well as attorneys. Errors in real-time that can change the outcome of a case, such as “now” misheard as “not,” can be corrected as they happen. This helps the transcript as a whole maintain accuracy. It also helps judges make better decisions. In addition, the software for transcription usually contains a dynamic index associated with the real-time feed. A judge can click on this to find objections, rulings, and law histories that pertain to the current trial. A judge can then use a law and the legislature’s intent in creating that law to its full advantage as he considers the case.
The presence of a court reporter has additional benefits. Unlike machines, real-time court reporters stop typing when they detect an attorney talking with a client. This preserves confidentiality by not displaying the conversation on a screen for the whole courtroom to see. Realtime court reporting has many advantages over audio recordings, which need to be transcribed at a later time.
Stream Realtime to Experts or Co-Counsel
Realtime court reporting allows attorneys to instantly stream and share case information with a management team. The transcript can be shared via the Internet in real time with experts and co-counsel, and it can also be mailed to parties affected by a case if they wish to participate.
Testimony Can Be Immediately Impeached
Real-time court reporting helps a case management team when a witness has testified falsely. The team can check the trial record against a transcript of the witness’s prior depositions or in-court testimony. This helps the attorney who is in court impeach the witness immediately. The case management team can use two or more digital records to point out the witness’s inconsistencies.
More Effective Participation
A courtroom can have bad acoustics. A witness can have an indecipherable accent. A defendant can speak too softly. All of this gravely impacts typical audio transcripts. However, Realtime court reporting picks up all relevant information and allows the case management team to know exactly what is going on as it happens. This is an excellent tool for clients and attorneys with hearing impairments, as well.
Saves Time and Travel Costs
Realtime court reporting makes it possible for experts, co-counsel and even a client’s family to watch what’s going on in the courtroom without physically being present. This saves on travel costs and witness-related fees, such as meals per diem. The savings may provide you with additional funds to strengthen the substantive portion of your case. For example, you can use the money saved by real-time court reporting to hire an additional expert or have another lab test performed.
Explore Magna’s Court Reporting Services Today
We invite you to learn more about Magna’s realtime court reporting. See how court reporting can give you the advantage at trial and beyond. Contact us to speak to a representative and learn about all the benefits of using real-time court reporting for your hearing or trial.
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