If there is one thing that is important in court proceedings, it’s details. Every minute detail and component can be pivotal to a case at any time, making it important to have a record of everything for any future review. In order to ensure that there is a testimony of any piece of information that might be needed later on, court reporting agencies are used to document all cases.
Because so much weight can be riding on the information recorded, the process to become a court reporter is extensive and in-depth. The court reporting program and certification process takes and average of about 33.3 months to complete. There are different factors in a court case that must be documented, each with a designated reporter to carry out a specific task.
One of the most important and longest used methods of recording court proceedings is through a stenographer. These trained individuals transcribe everything spoken during a case into shorthand for later use. With how much information is being exchanged between lawyers, judges, the jury, and especially those on the stand, these court reporters must be able to type quickly and reliably.
After completing the formal education programs, in order to be certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and officially become a stenographer, an individual must be able to type at a minimum of 225 words per minute. And while this may sound like an impressive feat, some of these reporters may have other requirements to complete as well. Depending on the different types of certification programs, along with the ability to capture 225 testimony words per minute, some additional requirements might include the capacity to transcribe 200 jury charge words per minute, as well as 180 literary words per minute.
Having trustworthy documentation can mean the difference between Justified sentences and false prosecution. Every single word recorded by court reporting services is utterly important.