Judges and attorneys are usually viewed as the central players in the legal system. However, this perception leaves out a significant group: court reporters. These professionals carry out an essential purpose in our legal system. They must provide the official record for the proceedings. In fact, without a court reporter’s work, the legal system would come to a halt. There are several reasons why San Francisco court reporters are the true backbone of the modern court system.

Why We Need Court Reporters

Court reporters are not just a convenience; they are a necessity. You may wonder why this is so. The reason lies in the existence of the appeals process. Every court case starts in a trial court. The proceedings that occur during the trial process are essential to an appeal. Any errors that occur during this time can be the basis for further legal action.

These proceedings don’t mean anything if there is no accurate record of what occurred. This is where a court stenographer becomes necessary. San Francisco court reporters record everything said in the trial process to create a transcript. This transcript is what attorneys and courts use later to refer back to the proceedings.

A transcript contains a lot of important information that will be used in the appeals process. If there is not record made during the initial trial, then there will be no court record if you lose the case and therefore you cannot appeal. It is a verbatim record of all of the questions, statements, arguments, and evidence used in the trial. As such, it is the base upon which an appeals attorney builds a case. Without a court stenographer, it would be impossible to have an accurate record to rely upon.

How Court Reporters Do Their Job

Court reporters use their skill and tools to create a verbatim record. It may seem impossible for court reporters in San Francisco to record everything that happens, but it’s all possible due to a specialized process. Reporters use a form of shorthand to keep up with the quick pace of the spoken word. This information is recorded on a stenotype machine. A court stenographer needs to be fully trained to use the stenotype machine. However, due to the device’s unique design, reporters can record up to 300 words per minute.

Why It Matters

Why do court reporters matter so much? You might as well ask why do appeals matter? The reason is that an accurate transcript of the proceedings helps preserve justice. We’ve all heard of convictions being turned over decades later due to an error. The lives of entirely innocent people are restored when an appeal is successful. Yet, to attain this type of success, it is essential to have something reliable to review. A court reporter is the main reason why attorneys and courts can review cases.

The Most Important?

We all can agree that judges and lawyers are an integral part of the justice system. But without court reporters, the hard work these people do wouldn’t matter as much. Reporters are truly the roots of a tree called justice.

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