Naples Reporting - Latest Comments

Re: Legal Videography: The New Way of Recording Video Depositions

Brant Mcclure — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:57:31 -0000

Joseph,
Did you get a reply or find answers to your questions? This would make my life alot easier! Thank you,

Brant Mcclure

Re: Court Reporting: The Dying Profession

Nat Douget — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:55:48 -0000

Same old banter --- last week we provided a realtime reporter at a meso trial only to produce rough ascii

During the trial --- the atty asked for a read back from the official reporter who happens to be a pen writer – digital recorder. [And a friend of mine]

She had difficulty finding the spot and my reporter found it in a matter of a couple of minutes. Mind you we were not the official record but you get what you pay for. I don't throw rocks at anyone or any method in making a record. Just be damn sure you can make a record.
Nat Douget / Lake Charles, La

Re: Legal Videography: The New Way of Recording Video Depositions

Joseph W. — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 23:59:47 -0000

Two questions? 1.What software is used to render your deposition videos on DVD? 2. Article mentioned 6-7 hours of testimony on one DVD.. What settings is used to accomplish this when using HD footage? Ex: Mpeg4 Video & Audio Bitrate, etc.. Thanks and I have enjoyed reading your articles.

Re: WHO Cares About Court Reporting?

Tony Robert Wright — Thu, 15 May 2014 08:12:52 -0000

Kristin, I'm Tony Wright, the author of this post. I've since sold Naples Reporting and actually work as the Internet Marketing Director for a stenographic court reporting company as we speak. Let me address your comment:

First, it assumes that I somehow have something against stenographic court reporters. I don't. I, like you, believe that the future of stenographic court reporting is with realtime. The problem with that is that most steno reporters can't do it, and probably can't be trained to do it, simply because it's such a difficult skill.

Digital court reporting did not show up because some failed reporter was looking for a way to make fast cash. It was born by necessity. There simply aren't enough steno reporters to cover all of the work out there. Your comment also implies that steno transcripts and digital transcripts are not of comparable quality. I respectfully disagree. I do, however, wish to make one clarification. Digitally RECORDING court hearings is NOT the same thing as digitally REPORTING depositions. When the government decides to save money in courts by installing unmonitored recording systems, that is not something I condone nor do I think you can get a consistently good transcript from such a system.

A digitally REPORTED proceeding, however, employs a digital court reporter who not only monitors the recording and hits the big red button, but they also take time-synced notes that enable the ability to provide instantaneous readbacks and speaker designations. The private sector systems also allow us to control the environment of our recordings. Since we bring our own equipment, we can control the positioning of microphones and recording equipment to ensure the best possible sound quality.

We have the ability to record far better sound than the coveted legal videography audio in which most reporters are so impressed. And you're right about employing stenographers... We don't hold any qualms about it. We are always looking for the best, most efficient, and cost-effective way to produce transcripts. If that means we hire a steno to transcribe, then so be it, but in the instances where we hire steno reporters to transcribe, you can bet your bottom dollar they are doing it from the comfort of their own homes. Because of this convenience, we are able to hire retired reporters, and disabled people who may have a tough time traveling from job site to job site.

I owned Naples Reporting for two years. In that two years, I never received one complaint about the quality of my product. In fact, one attorney was adamant that he remembered something differently, and our broadcast quality, 192khz/24-bit audio verified our work. He promptly apologized and became a regular customer.

Digital court reporters cannot provide realtime. We never claimed to be able to, nor do we offer any similar service. We can, however, provide same-day rough drafts and daily copy. A Canadian digital court reporting company has developed a system whereby recordings are uploaded to the firm in 15 minute segments (much like the work units in CaseCat or Eclipse). Those segments are then able to be accessed by authorized transcribers. Since there is a team working on the transcript in stead of a single reporter, the transcripts can be finished and certified within an hour of the conclusion of the proceeding, regardless of its length. That's the power of technology.

The point is that realtime court reporting has its place. I've never disputed that. But until more reporters are trained (enough that the price comes down) it just isn't accessible to majority of litigants. Realtime is perfect for complex lit cases where a partner rolls in with an army of associates to annotate the transcript while he fires questions. They can IM each other and come up with follow ups. They can do so in the room, or from the comfort of their own offices with services like LiveDeposition. It's a beautiful system. It's an expensive system. Joe the Plumber may want to forego the expense in his divorce.

Bottom line, there are different services for different applications. Until the steno court reporting community starts generating enough qualified graduates to significantly reduce the cost of court reporting, the emergence of alternative methods won't just continue, it will accelerate.

Re: WHO Cares About Court Reporting?

Kristin Mellott Ashenhurst — Mon, 12 May 2014 21:11:30 -0000

I am a stenographic and am passionate about my work and work product. I have my CSR, RDR, CRR, and CMRS. I worked hard to achieve these so that I could give the attorneys a better product. This pursuit of education --( I also went back and finished my Bachelor's degree) and licensure did just that!!! What I find very interesting with respect to stenographic and digital reporting firms is that many of the digital reporting firms tell law firms they can offer daily copy, but the way they manage to do that is actually go out and hire stenographic reporters to work for them and make the attorneys believe that digital recording -- it is just a recording and nothing more -- can compete with stenographic reporting. People may think that attorneys don't notice a terrible transcript, but good attorneys do and they care about that transcript because it can be such an important tool in the litigation process. I would love to hear from any digital reporting firms that offer realtime reporting or daily copy with just one ER operator. Please respond if you have somebody who can traiscribe at the rate that a CRR can when doing realtime!! We, as a profession, need to showcase the importance of realtime and the fact that it puts stenographic reporting at the top of way to capture the record!

Re: WHO Cares About Court Reporting?

Nala — Sun, 11 May 2014 18:11:24 -0000

I'm a stenographic reporter and check EVERYTHING against my audio. If you aren't using audio, you are dropping or making mistakes, I guarantee it. I'm certified by the NCRA, but those tests are at 95% accuracy, for five minutes. I want my transcripts to be 100% accurate, so I check against my audio. And if an attorney wants my audio, no problem. My ego is not that big. If I was an attorney, I'd want the most accurate transcript possible, regardless of how it was produced. Now, I'm sure digital reporting, provided it doesn't malfunction, can produce a very accurate record. However, you couldn't pay me enough to manually type it all out. I've transcribed from audio when I'm slow with depos. It SUCKS! And I charge twice as much as a regular transcript to type from audio.

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Lisa Thomas — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:22:08 -0000

I have to add also that I've learned in the courts here where they do digital the attys know if they cough, tap pencils, or other general noise making things that nobody can say - oh don't cough - they can obliterate the record. A court reporter not only takes the record, but attests to it. If someone wants to preserve the truth they want a court reporter. I know someone who had a lost digital recording - my son - and had to pay for the trial and attys for a second time. WHAT CRAP! I am so sick of people who know nothing picking on court reporters. We work harder than anybody else and get no respect. BULLLLLLLLL

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Lisa Thomas — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:19:04 -0000

There is a case in WV where a couple weeks of a trial (digital) is missing. What a crock of crap. This link leads to some digital reporting agency in Florida - this guy is obviously uneducated and biased. May a big magnet fall on this guy's vested interest :)

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Beth Sklar — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:33:52 -0000

The past tense is "pled," not "plead," Mr. Wright. LOL, what a name for someone who can't spell! Maybe they can't find her files because of the way that she named them and they need to try other file-naming options.

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

apeybloom — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:59:14 -0000

That's such a load of BS. "had this been recorded using digital court reporting this type of situation would never happen." This is ridiculous. What about ALL OF THE TIMES the audio failed or the audio missed key portions b/c it was "inaudible." This is a push from the voice recognition software makers and the people that use it that call themselves court reporters. I can't even stand to read another word of this crap!

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Veronica Williams — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:30:06 -0000

If he pled guilty, there wouldn't have been a trial. So what's the real story?

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Kristine Black Jones — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:33:57 -0000

Even without audio recording, there is a backup in my steno machine and on my computer and always, always, on a thumb drive....of my steno notes that any reporter could transcribe!! Yes, it is the reporter's responsibility to have the equipment to save these backups!!! But certainly all this can be done without audio!!!

Re: Court Reporter Death Could Mean Second Chance For Convicted Murderer

Kristine Black Jones — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:30:49 -0000

First of all, digital recording devices fail too!! Most court reporters have several backups as well. If I died today, any court reporter can get my machine and my computer and make a transcript from my backups that are on them!! This article is very biased. Additionally, when a person pleads guilty, they do not have a trial...so the article makes no sense at all!!!

Re: WHO Cares About Court Reporting?

Mili — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 13:17:17 -0000

I have been a reporter for a very long time and do realtime and would never use an audio backup. Why? Because I have a skill. In the 25 years I have been working I have yet to have anyone challenge a transcript. It is a grueling job and you do need a certain amount of intelligence along with a decent theory to produce good work. I often have attorneys comment, "You do a great job. You can read it back." How sad is that? Two attorneys told me during a heated arbitration, when they asked for read backs the "reporter" asked for time to search that section in her audio and played it back. That, my friends, is pathetic. Also, if you want to make a living as a court reporter, the easier your scoping is the more work you will produce. If you are going to sit there and listen to the sound, you are going to slow down your production time tremendously. I am not familiar with digital recording, but that Audiosync (ph) by Stenograph and other audio programs are the ruination of the court reporting field. I'm glad I'm at the end of my career!

Re: Legal Videography: The New Way of Recording Video Depositions

Kurt Winter — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 13:40:20 -0000

Thank you for this post. I am in trial presentation - you know, the one field in the legal industry that NEVER gets asked how videographers should record. I once sat through a legal videographer tell me how they insist on HD cameras and high quality mics, then to say that the DVD recorder is the primary, and its hooked up with a composite cable, and more importantly that its recorded live. Recorded live, on disc. This is the most annoying aspect ever, because I have to convert this video to something that can be edited, presented and shown in court - and no one asks me, or anyone from my field how we want the video.

Re: Court Reporting: The Dying Profession

Guest — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:26:41 -0000

Mr. Wright,

I cannot help but think that any young and easily impressionable young person reading your article might be quick to assume the validity of your statements. However, I would strongly disagree and I furthermore contend that your sole purpose is to profit Naples Reporting. You seem anxious to dissuade humans from becoming court stenographers in order that your might roll in your machines to do those jobs.

I disagree that inflections of the human voice, pronunciations and accents can be accurately interpreted or processed through any currently available digital technology. This is simply not the case. Digital court reporting has a very long way to go to match the degree of accuracey of which the human brain is capable.

I do not think I would consider putting my life, my family or my money into the hands of a computer, a recording machine or any other sort of digital "reporter". For now, and I do believe for quite a long time hereafter, human beings will continue to maintain the very human ability to accurately decipher the various aspects of human language and human speech. It will be some time before digital technology can assume the role of court reporter. The effort to cut costs by replacing human court reporters with digital recorders serves only to weaken our legal system and the laws of our nation.

Good luck (because you will need it for quite a few years hence,)

N. Wexler

Re: Paving the Way for Digital Court Reporting

Carmen — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:25:16 -0000

Sounds like a great time! I'm sure it's a great community and it's something to think about. I'll be in Punta Cana in November, so I'll have to pass. Look forward to reading an update when you return.

Re: Court Reporter Software: Looks A Lot Like Digital Court Reporting

jandriene — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 03:08:50 -0000

Oh, I am getting so tired of reading your disparaging, yet desperate, comments re court reporters. You are truly clueless! You are in the "recording" not "reporting" business.

Re: Paving the Way for Digital Court Reporting

TonyInCourt — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 23:55:31 -0000

I appreciate the candid comment. It really is frustrating. I'm not sure if you're interested, Carmen, but the IAPRT seems like the best association in terms of values and logical thinking. If you're not a member already, give them a try. Memberships are inexpensive, and you can come listen to my presentation at the annual conference in October on a weekend cruise to Cozumel.

Re: Paving the Way for Digital Court Reporting

Carmen — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:11:44 -0000

The reason why I liked this post is because I hear your frustration and I know what that must feel like. We should all be represented by NCRA under one association, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Every stenographic reporter I know uses some form of digital audio either as a backup or to aid with transcription. That's a fact.

Re: Court Reporting Contracting isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing

Peggy Daniels — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:11:41 -0000

I was called last week from a company in DC that holds huge contracts and they were looking for court reporters; I am retired and living here in FL. They do contracting in DC, VA, MD, the Metro area all the time and was doing this when I left last year. These huge companies have lobbyist up there all the time. The battle of the lobbyist.

Re: Court Reporting Contracting isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing

TonyInCourt — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:27:50 -0000

The problem about dealing with NCRA is that they do have an active government relations department. In fact, just this week they were in Washington lobbying for a courthouse safety act. I haven't read much about it yet and on the face it looks like good legislation, I just don't know what else is rolled into it that might hurt us.

Re: Court Reporting Contracting isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing

Peggy Daniels — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:22:23 -0000

Contracting still goes on all over the country and small companies cannot compete for these large contracts. I don't think the NCRA has much muscle in this area.

Re: Realtime Reporter Exposes Pitfall of Stenographic Court Reporting

Naples Reporting — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:34:20 -0000

I was just reading some of these old comments. Boy have we come a long way, Rachel!

Re: Why Court Reporters in Naples Charge More for Video Depositions

TonyInCourt — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:41:48 -0000

I'm glad you brought that up, Janiece. Many court reporters in Florida don't realize that it's actually against the law to record someone when they can reasonably assume privacy.

One of the great things about digital court reporting is that we make it very clear when we are on the record (recording) and when we're off the record.