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Federal Court Reporting System - Outdated and Loosely Supervised

NCJ Number
89256
Date Published
1982
Length
146 pages
Annotation
Even though the Federal judiciary is satisfied that court proceedings are being recorded properly and transcripts are being prepared accurately, the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that many court reporters have often overcharged litigants, used Government facilities to conduct private business, and used substitute court reporters extensively.
Abstract
The judiciary needs to strengthen its supervision and management to eliminate such practices. Corrective action is planned or has been taken to ensure that abuses do not continue. An alternative -- electronic recording -- is available to the judiciary which, if adopted, would result in annual savings of about $10 million. There are mixed views, however, about its feasibility. Recently, Congress enacted legislation requiring that different methods of recording court proceedings be tested; this includes electronic recording. GAO believes that an adequately structured test will confirm the feasibility of electronic recording systems in Federal district courts. Cost data and agency correspondence are provided. (Author abstract modified)