Court Reporter's Station
While the trend in many courts has been away from the use of live court reporters, many courts
continue to use live court reporters in the courtroom to take the official record.
The court reporter's station should be adjacent to the witness stand so that the reporter can clearly
view the witness's facial expressions and hear voice testimony. The court reporter should also
have an unobstructed view of all participants in the courtroom, including the judge, witness box,
jury box, and attorney's tables. The court reporter should be as inconspicuous as possible,
particularly to the witness, who should not be made to feel self-conscious, and to the jurors, who
should not be distracted from the witness's testimony.
In courts using electronic audio recording, a specially trained clerk usually monitors the
equipment to make sure that it is recording properly. This recording monitor's station can be
located where the court reporter would normally sit or can be at the"court clerk’s station. Most
live court reporters also make use of audio recording equipment as a means of providing back up
and need space and electrical outlets for their equipment.
The court reporter should have a small dedicated work area, storage space, and be shielded by a
modesty panel. An enclosed, or semi-enclosed, areas also helps to hide equipment from view and
permits a neater and more dignified appearance.
Accessibility
Access to the reporter's station should be easy and direct from the courtroom’s public entrance or
side staff entrance.
Design
Each court of record should have a work station for recording trial proceedings. The design and
image of the court reporter's station should be compatible with the style and finishes of the
judge's bench and other courtroom furniture.
The court reporter's station may be at floor level or elevated on one riser. A floor-level location is
more accessible to persons with a disability, further accentuates the prominence of the judge's
bench, and minimizes the possibility of obstructing the judge's or attorneys' view of the witness.
An elevated location puts the court reporter on the same level with the witness, a benefit for
recording, and provides a better overall view of the courtroom.
Environment
The court reporter's station should have the same task lighting as the judge's bench. The acoustic
needs of live court reporters are different from those of an electronic recording system. Live
court reporters typically require a more acoustically live courtroom than does electronic
recording.
Furnishings
Although the court reporter's equipment will be determined by the method of court reporting, the
space described above should accommodate the following reporting methods:
Stenotype. Requires a movable chair, space for the stenotype machine, and adequate
electrical outlets.
Computer-aided transcription."Requires a comfortable chair with back support, desk
space for transcription machine, video monitor, silent printer, and adequate electrical
outlets.
Electronic recording."Requires a permanent workstation that will accommodate
recording equipment, space for note-taking and log entries, audio jacks for the sound-
recording equipment, and a comfortable chair.
Videotaping."Requires appropriate camera locations, a permanent workstation that will
accommodate any in-court monitoring equipment, conduits for the necessary wiring and a
comfortable chair. The permanent work station may be located outside the courtroom.
Needs of people with disability
The court reporter's station need not be immediately accessible but should be adaptable to
provide future accessibility. This requires space to accommodate a wheelchair and unobstructed
turning space within the workspace, an accessible path to the work area which coincides with the
non-accessible circulation path to the area, space to locate a permanent ramp or lift, and an
accessible desk.
Raised floor levels at the court reporter's position may be served with a"movable ramp, as court
reporters are often employees of the court and advance planning will allow temporary
installation of the ramp for court personnel assigned to that courtroom who require access to
their workstation. Not all court reporters, however, are court employees.
Many courts make use of contract or outside reporters who need access from the public
circulation system. Many court reporter positions will need to be accessible form both the public
and private circulation areas of the courthouse. A relatively easy solution to making the court
reporter station wheelchair accessible is to locate it at floor level adjacent to the witness stand.
Security
Because a court reporter may at times be sitting near a potentially hostile and violent witness, the
court reporter's station should allow for an easy escape.
Space
The court reporter may have a small desk for storing supplies, recording tapes, and equipment. If
the station is adjacent to the judge, the distance from the desk to the back wall should be at least
5 feet, to accommodate equipment, various seating angles, and easy access.
If located in the litigation area, the court reporter should have table space and comfortable
seating appropriate to the recording methods being used.
The court reporter's station requires approximately 25 to 30 square feet, including circulation.
Technology
The court reporter station should have several electrical outlets and enough space for audio
recording equipment. The station should also be made ready for computer terminals and video
technology. A silent printer for producing transcripts in the courtroom may be needed.
References
Cohen, O., & Segal‐Engelchin, D. (2000). Suzi and Mr. S.: Gender role stereotyping in social
workers' court reports in custody and access cases.
Dunne, G. T. (1976). Early Court Reporters. YB, 61.
Jacobsen, J. P. (2007). Occupational segregation and the tipping phenomenon: The contrary case
of court reporting in the USA. Gender, Work & Organization, 14(2), 130-161.
Jones, T., Kalbfeld, J. R., Hancock, R., & Clark, R. (2019). Testifying while black: An
experimental study of court reporter accuracy in transcription of African American English.
Language, 95(2), e216-e252.
Joyce, C. (1985). The Rise of the Supreme Court Reporter: An Institutional Perspective on
Marshall Court Ascendancy. Michigan Law Review, 83(5), 1291-1391.
Lipinski, D., & Neddenriep, G. (2004). Using “new” media to get “old” media coverage: How
members of Congress utilize their web sites to court journalists. Harvard International Journal
of Press/Politics, 9(1), 7-21.
Lund, J., DeClercq, N., & Childers, M. (2008). Finding Their Voice: The Struggle of the Illinois
Court Reporters to Win Union Recognition. Labor Studies Journal, 33(4), 431-452.
Wagner, F. D. (2001). The Role of the Supreme Court Reporter in History. J. Sup. Ct. Hist., 26,
9.
