Court Reporters are a fascinating bunch. I always wonder how they stay under control despite all the things that happen around them in the court of law. As the parades of witnesses come and go, you can see them pound away or talk into the equipments that help them do their jobs.
It is obvious very few people pay attention or understand the equipments that help court reporters perform their jobs so efficiently. In this article, I examine these equipments.
The court reporter uses two primary equipments in the performance of his or her job. They are the Stenograph and the Silencer.
I will start out by talking about the stenograph.
The stenograph also known as stenotype is a specialized typewriter used by court reporters to do their jobs. It is designed to allow for shorthand typing. The keyboard is compact like that of a piano. The symbols on the keyboard are phrases or words. They are translated or transcribed in real-time to computers.
A good court reporter using a stenotype can type up to 300 words per minute. It is this speed that allows the court reporter to capture all the things said in the court of law.
The number one manufacturer of the stenotype machine is the Stenograph Corporation. The corporate headquarter is at Mount Prospect, Illinois. They manufacture manual or automated machines. Some of them are even wireless.
The second and last court reporter equipment I will cover is the Silencer. The silencer is a hand held mask that contains a microphone. The reporter uses this silencer for voice writing.
Using the voice-writing method, a court reporter speaks directly into the silencer. As the reporter repeats the testimony into the recorder, the mask on the silencer prevents the reporter from being heard during testimony. The silencer records everything that is said by judges, witnesses, attorneys, and other parties in the court. The silencer can even capture gestures and emotional reactions.
A leading manufacturer of silencers is the AudioScribe Corporation. They are located in Breaux Bridge, LA.
There you have it. If you were ever wondering about court reporters and their equipment, you don’t have to wonder any more.
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