In courtrooms across New York, court reporters are required to write down every word uttered during arraignments, hearings and trials.
Court reporters play an essential role in the legal system. They create a written record of proceedings, which may later be reviewed by jurors deciding whether to convict a defendant, attorneys filing appeals, journalists covering newsworthy trials and U.S. Supreme Court justices weighing whether someone’s constitutional rights have been violated. Hearings and trials literally can’t go on without them.
“Unless people go to court and they're sitting on a trial, they'll see the court reporter,” she said. “Otherwise they don't even know the job exists."Katherine O’Hara said her recent career switch to court reporting was sparked by a visit to court after she received a ticket in her 20s. O’Hara said it took time to train her fingers to move fast enough for the job. Court reporters are required to write at a speed of 225 words per minute to graduate. She remembered practicing on her stenography machine late into the night, after putting her kids to sleep. For about a year, O’Hara said, she was stuck at 120 words per minute., according to the American Society of Administrative Professionals.
“When you don't have that person, if you're just running a software, and you're not aware, that can really jeopardize the record,” she said.