Guidelines Followed in Court Transcription

A court transcription is a process of converting a court related audio or video file into text. Usually, court proceedings, hearings, discussions, etc. are transcribed. Some of the advocates and judges require certified legal transcription services that are provided with the additional process of adding verbatim and timestamps.

Performing a court transcription is not an easy task, since there are certain rules that have to be followed. Adhering to the guidelines will result in correct and accurate court transcript.  The following are such norms to be kept in mind while carrying out a court transcription.

4 RULES FOR TRANSCRIBING COURT FILES

One must not stress on grammar issues

It is understandable that experienced professionals from certified audio transcription services are probed to correct grammar issues. When it comes to transcribing court audios or videos, it is regarded as incorrect.

Advocates sometimes prefer using terms such as “wanna”, “cuz”, etc. even during their formal court proceedings. The job of a transcriptionist is to convert what exactly is recorded in the format. It must not include what the person ‘should have said.’ This helps in maintaining accuracy in the process of court transcription.

Every ‘filler word’ has to be included

Most of the local agencies miss out on including the filler words. A court transcript should have all the filler words such as ‘um’, ‘uh’, ‘yeah’, ‘ha’, etc. in its result. However, it has to be noted here that certified transcription services need not include fillers while processing ‘intelligent court transcription.’

It is essential for every transcriptionist to understand the tone of the file format. Some inputs may be recorded with nervousness and some have a hesitant voice, in addition to the fillers. It is the responsibility of the court transcriber to comprehend what exactly must be transcribed and how effectively the style of conversation is balanced with all the filler words.

Value is given even for sounds and silence

Inclusion of every sound and pause is more like a challenge then regarded as a norm. With the importance given to nonverbal communication and background sounds, a transcriptionist should transcribe every single element present in a court format.

Noisy backgrounds, poor quality audio or video file, long duration files, etc. all increase the difficulty of transcribing a court file. An individual who has enough years of experience and skills can manage even crucial file formats effectively.

Documenting any false starts is important

Sometimes, court hearings and legal proceedings start with a false idea. This includes examples such as ‘I mean...’, ‘I…I...’, etc. Transcribing every voice from the recording is given importance.

And when it comes to transcribing court audios with varying speakers (or multiple speakers), there are stutters commonly observed during the process. It is the work of a transcriber to convert every mumbling and incoherency in the transcript.

Following these rules can give an excellent court transcript, that is highly precise and qualitatively communicates the messages spoken in a media file. These norms are to be processed even for a rare language and a quick delivery court transcription.

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