When it comes to the court systems, court reporters can often be overlooked. In the overall scheme of things, they can go relatively unnoticed. However, they are truly one of the most important elements of the proceedings by far! Without them, cases could not be tried with confidence in the record of what occurred. They are the silent guardians of the record, playing a crucial role in every court case that comes before a judge and making sure that what goes on is accurately reported.
So what exactly is the importance of a permanent court record? Read on to find out!
Reporters are necessary for every court case to go ahead and be presented. The job doesn’t really attract much attention, and they may seem somewhat out of the way. Their task may be not as front and center as things go on, but they have the huge responsibility of creating a record of court proceedings word for word that is entirely accurate. That is a pretty big job!
You may find yourself wondering why such a record and a job may be necessary. Why is it so important to have everything that is said in a classroom recorded verbatim? The answer to that question can partially be found in the structure of the court system. It is made up of two individual levels in the appellate and trial courts. The appellate courts are cases that come from trials that are brought under review to make sure that there are no errors. The transcripts generated by court reporters carry out these reviews, helping to identify each person who spoke during the trial proceedings, helping to provide a record of what each said verbatim with no errors.
These transcripts are then reviewed by attorneys and judges outside of the court proceedings and long after a verdict has been declared. There were occasionally times when someone has been found guilty of a crime and then sentenced to prison who was able to get transcripts of court proceedings and use them to help them prove their innocence years later! Yet another reason why these transcripts are so important– they provide records of an event that would otherwise have nothing to testify to what occurred there.
Without this job, it would be very difficult to control and to preserve a record of court proceedings in virtually any trial. While it may not be the most high-profile job in the court system, it is crucial to the operations of the judicial system. That is why they are called the silent guardians of the record and why what reporters do in court is so important.