Post #4066538

A "court reporter" these days is not necessarily a stenographer using shorthand to take down the record. That could either be done on a steno machine like you've probably seen in movies and shows or via voice writing where the reporter speaks shorthand into a mask over their mouth. There is a shortage of certified shorthand reporters, so some big box court reporting firms have sprung up that instead use "digital reporters" who basically record the deposition audio to be transcribed after the fact. (I believe it varies by jurisdiction as to whether this is allowed. Some courts only require a notary public to administer the oath to the witness and certify the transcript, so the digital reporter just has to be a registered notary.) Some of these digital reporters take notes on spellings and whatnot and then do their own transcription, but the firms have also started outsourcing the audio to third parties that use AI to create the transcripts. So if you're ever involved in a lawsuit and giving deposition testimony, definitely pay attention to what the court reporter is doing. You'll be given the opportunity to read and sign off on the transcript. I encourage you to not waive that right.