What is one of the key duties of court reporters?

Creating accurate transcripts is one of the key duties of court reporters because their primary role is to provide a verbatim record of legal proceedings. This responsibility is crucial for ensuring that all spoken words during trials, depositions, and other legal events are documented precisely. These transcripts serve as official records that can be referred to in future legal actions or appeals, and they uphold the integrity of the judicial process. The accuracy of these transcripts is vital to ensure that all parties have an equal opportunity to review the proceedings, and they often need to adhere to specific formatting and technical standards to be accepted as a legal document. Court reporters utilize specialized equipment and skills to achieve this level of precision, thus making the creation of accurate transcripts fundamental to their role in the legal system.