There is a lot that Georgia court reporters can offer and for that, there are some rules and regulations which they should follow. Let’s have a look at some of them:
One of the primary duties of court reporting companies is to provide a written transcript of court proceedings upon the request of a party or an order of the court. Written transcripts are prepared in accordance with the Judicial Conference's page format, page rates, and delivery schedules. Private transcription services designated by the court to transcribe federal court proceedings produce transcripts of proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording equipment.
Fees for transcripts requested by parties may be charged and collected by court reporters and transcribers. The fee schedule should be prominently displayed in the district court clerk's office or made available on the court's website. When a transcript is requested, the first requester pays the original transcript rate, and subsequent requesters pay a copy rate. When a court reporter or transcriber delivers the original transcript to the ordering party, he or she must also file a certified electronic copy with the clerk of court. It’s always good to be as transparent as possible.
The Reporting Must Be Fair
If both the prosecution and the defense have given evidence, the report must include both sides. It is not necessary to report every word said in court, but the overall balance of the case must be included in the report. For example, if the prosecution case was twice as long as the defense case, you could devote two-thirds of your report to prosecution evidence and one-third to defense evidence.
It is important that a newspaper or broadcasting station that begins reporting on a court case continues to do so every day until the case is completed. Otherwise, the report on the case as a whole cannot be fair, and there may be problems in achieving justice.
Transmission Of The Transcript
The copy of the original transcript must be provided as a separate document or compact disc, rather than as an attachment to the document. In addition to displaying the case's style, it should include an index, and the pages should be numbered consecutively at the bottom. Printed transcripts that are large in volume may be bound in separate parts. Each section must be certified by both the court reporter and the trial court clerk.
An outburst or other disruptive behavior that causes the court proceedings to be interrupted may result in the initiation of a direct contempt hearing. If there is a disruption, the court reporter should make an attempt to record it. In such a contempt hearing, the court reporter may be called as a witness, and he or she should be alert and knowledgeable about the proceedings.
Decorum, Demeanor, And Communication With Others
A certified court reporter must be patient, dignified, and courteous to everyone involved, including but not limited to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, court staff, and others with whom he or she comes into contact. A certified court reporter must also expect the same behavior from the Judges, lawyers, court staff, court officials, and others under the judge's direction and control.
Summing Up
We all know the importance of a court reporter in today's legal system. Many of us have a stereotype of the court reporter as the silent individual who is always present while testimony is delivered. The official keeper of the record has always been and continues to be the court reporter, but there is much more than every lawyer and the legal practitioner should know about court reporting and court reporters today. This article has given you some rules that court reporters must abide by at all times. It is very important that they do court reporting keeping in mind the ethics and decorum of the court. Having a fair trial without being biased, is where the court reporters have a major role to play!