The telephone deposition is something you want to get right the first time! Not being able to see the parties involved can be tricky... a court reporter has to listen closely for any voice changes as well as catch mistakes as quickly as possible. Lawyers have to make sure that a great connection is established and that all legal issues pertaining to a telephone deposition has been strategically taken care of.
However, sometimes a telephone deposition just can't be avoided. More than likely a lawyer and court reporter will be faced with one during the course of their careers. One of the most common reason for telephone depositions or testimonies is because witnesses are not able to travel due to a physical illness or limitations. Regardless, it's important that court reporters and lawyers understand the pros and cons of telephone depositions just in case you are ever put in that situation.
The bad side of telephone depositions are many. The first is the possibility of a lost connection, equipment failure, or a malfunction. Malfunctions can include static, the inability of hearing the person talking or even a disconnection. To prevent this from happening the connection should be tested and all parties should attempt to be online at least 10 minutes before the call starts to make sure that everything is working properly.
Other problems with telephone depositions include the possibility of court reporters making mistakes because they can't hear or the witness making mistakes because they can't hear either. Lastly, and most obviously, is the fact that not being able to see body language is actually a huge disadvantage, especially when attempting to portray as much information on the transcript as possible... and also for lawyers to be able to change a question based on something the witness does.
Although there are certainly some precautions to consider when organizing a telephone deposition, there are some benefits as well. Some of these benefits include the ability for lawyers to get a great testimony form the witnesses because opposing counsel cannot harass them.
Lastly, it reduces the cost of travel for everyone involved and allows lawyers to control witnesses.
At CourtReporter.net our court reporters are prepared for any type of deposition regardless if by phone, video or in a traditional courtroom setting. We are prepared to provide quality service no matter what the situation. For qualified court reporters visit http://www.courtreporternet.com/. CourtReporterNet.com is the one-stop source for all your Court Reporting, videography and Transcription needs. Powered by innovative technologies, and a professional customer support staff, CourtReporterNet.com is sure to meet your complete satisfaction. The court reporters of CourtReporterNet.com are currently available in New York, California, Florida, Chicago and other areas throughout the United States.
5 comments:
Another issue to consider when doing telephonic depositions is swearing in the witness. By law, the reporter or notary needs to see the person they are swearing in. Court reporters are told by NCRA not to swear a person in over the phone. There is no way to identify the person who is being sworn in. It is best to have the reporter with the witness or at least a notary public.
These seem like very good points and things that every court reporter should know before taking a phone deposition.
It's also important to ensure that the phone's various settings are turned off - for example, the call waiting feature, or any kind of delay/mute feature. Where there are multiple parties participating by telephone, be sure that you identify yourself before speaking to ensure your comments are indeed attributed to you.
I personally don't like telephone conversations most especially regarding cases like that. court reporting agencies should always take in mind that it is important to personally meet the witness and all the people necessary on that case.
Some truly wonderful work on behalf of the owner of this internet site , perfectly great articles . 0800 mobile numbers
Post a Comment