TechTracker

A Year in Review

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:18:00 GMT

2008 is coming to a close, and, as you sit down and think about your resolutions for the New Year, it is also important to reflect on what you have accomplished in the previous year. Specifically, what have you done to increase your skills and market court reporter value in your county, city, and state?

Have you built relationships judges, court officials, and attorneys and advocated for the profession? As a court reporter, you are the best voice for the industry. On the other hand, always be aware that your actions and words can reflect on the profession as a whole.

Have you kept up with the latest technology? Being proficient in realtime can enhance the judicial system and your own marketability. Make a commitment to ensuring that you have the most up-to-date technology.

Are you certified? Being a certified court reporter will show to all that you are at the pinnacle of your profession. Even if you have some certifications, try for more. Writing realtime but not a CRR? Sit for the exam and see how you do. If your state is a non-certified state, check in with NCRA in order to find out more about what you can do to fight for mandatory certification.

Have you made continuing education a priority? Reporters should continually be updating their knowledge of the reporting profession. New technology is constantly emerging that increasingly enhances a reporter's ability to provide services to clients and consumers. Take advantage of that opportunity and learn about the next steps in reporting.

The best way to market yourself and your skills is to be proactive. The New Year offers new opportunities to highlight the services that reporters and captioners can provide. Make sure that one of your New Year's resolutions is to learn even more and do even more to improve as a court reporter and therefore improve the profession as a whole.

Bringing Flawless Election Coverage to All

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:15:00 GMT

On election night, eight major national networks, including 3 all-news networks, used VITAC realtime captioners to provide English and Spanish access to viewers who were deaf or hard-of-hearing. Through the efforts of 92 captioners and 600 different data connections, 71 million viewers watching Barack Obama's win all had access to near-perfect captioning.

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Witnessing New Technology on Election Night

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:14:00 GMT

On election night, about 30 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals gathered at NPR headquarters to witness first-hand the station's new high definition radio and captioning system. This new system was brought about by a grant from the Department of Education. The satellite feed will go to all stations from a caption stenographer, but in order for everyone to have access, more financial support is needed from receiver manufacturers to help stations get the required equipment.

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What Does it Take to be a Court Reporter

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:13:00 GMT

This article offers a profile of court reporters and what they do. In addition to describing court reporters that use stenotype machines, the article also mentions ER and voicewriting as forms of court reporting. The article talks about closed captioning and realtime closed captioning as potential uses of a court reporter's skill.

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Constantly Shifting Platforms Could Doom Digital Data

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:10:00 GMT

There is a massive amount of data available in various digital formats, but ever-shifting platforms and file formats mean that all that information could become inaccessible in as short as 10 years. Many organizations are investing money in the digitizing process, but it is a waste if the information is eventually going to be lost. The article poses solutions such as the use of media independent data and open formats to make sure data does not fall into this black hole.

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Web Cam Technology Put to Use in the Court Room

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:08:00 GMT

For the first time, a Montgomery County, TN, court used Web cam technology to allow a witness to testify without being present in court. The testimony was heard in real time in the court as the witness was projected onto a screen. This could be the beginning of a new practice and is potentially a way for the court to save money.

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Technology Used in Every Step of Legal Process

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:07:00 GMT

In Oakland County, technology has permeated all levels of the legal system. Courts allow the submission of electronic documents and testimony via video. In addition, electronic police reports are now the norm. The courts introduced an e-filing pilot program in 2007 and most courts utilize audio-video systems that produce the official record.

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High-tech Tools Put to use in the Courtroom

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:05:00 GMT

In Berks County, PA, evidence is being presented in a new way. New monitors that are placed around the courtroom allow everyone involved in trials an up-close viewing of evidence. The flat screen displays are more interactive than just a pad and markers or paper charts, and court officials believe that they give a clearer and more recognizable presentation of evidence. The system cost $16,000 and was paid for with seized drug money.

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Judge Deems Digital Audio Sufficient to Make Ruling

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:03:00 GMT

A U.S. district judged ruled that an audio transcript of a trial was sufficient to make rulings on post-trial motions. The plaintiff's attorneys argued that the judge need only to listen to the portions of audio that the parties have cited in their briefs, and they did clarify that they have no intention of creating a transcript from the audio recording. All parties involved did recognize that the case may still require a transcript if it is appealed.

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Utah Court Reporters Replaced by Electronic Recording

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:02:00 GMT

Budget concerns have brought about the end for Utah court reporters. Starting July 1, 2009, all district court cases will be recorded solely by digital camera equipment that is already in use. The court will use contract transcriptionists to produce the record.

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Doubts Arise Over Replacing Stenographers with Recording Systems

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

The southwestern circuit in Ireland has replaced stenographers with a new court recording system, and not everyone is on board with the change. Judges and barristers have expressed concerns that the new electronic recording system will not be as accurate as a stenographer's record. Specifically, there are concerns regarding place names, pronunciations, and accents that may be difficult to understand when heard back on a tape. These speech issues would have been managed by stenographers, but it is unclear how the new recording system will handle them.

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Voice Recognition Software from Start to Finish

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:59:00 GMT

More and more computers are able to obey verbal commands through the use of voice recognition software. The writer of this article used Dragon Naturally Speaking to write the article, and he describes the entire process from installation, to the uncomfortable microphone headset, and to finally using the system. Overall, the writer admits that it was not a completely smooth process, but nonetheless, he is impressed with the system.

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Objecting to Protecting Private Information

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:58:00 GMT

This editorial expresses one person's opinion regarding the Florida State Supreme Court's decision that recordings of court proceedings are not official and therefore should not be public record. The reasoning behind the decision is that confidential information could have been inadvertently included in the tapes, and therefore they shouldn't be released in unedited form to the public. The writer is concerned that the courts want to go further and strike electronic recordings and videotapes from the definition of court records and make transcripts the only official record. The author feels this is too drastic and other measure could be taken in order to protect personal information or to prevent it from being included in recordings.

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Study Shows that Music Headphones can Interfere with Heart Devices

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:56:00 GMT

Research has shown that the powerful magnets in headphones can interfere with pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, and it doesn't matter whether the headphones are plugged into the device. When placed one inch from the heart devices, interference was detected 25% of the time, and individuals may not even realize that the device has been deactivated. Occurrence of malfunctions is directly related to how close the headphones are to the heart device, so it is important to make sure that headphones are kept away from the chest area.

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Transcription Software Reduces Turnover Time for Radiologists

Serge Obolensky, CAE — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:55:00 GMT

Nuance Communications, Inc. Powerscribe for Radiology has dramatically increased productivity in the Baptist Memorial Health Care medical network. The goal when introducing the software was to reduce turnover time for the production of radiology reports. Reports were created and available faster and these benefits are passed on to patients who can receive quicker diagnoses and better quality of care.

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