Although popular television dramas would have us believe that the strength of a court case is predicated almost entirely on an attorney's ability to interpret the facts surrounding a case, the strength of a case is typically developed long before it reaches the courtroom. More specifically, successful court cases often rest on the ability of the prosecution or the defense to elicit key information from witnesses in the form of video tape depositions. While not all depositions are recorded on video, those that are provide attorneys with a compelling visual document to present to the jury as they interpret the information contained therein. However, simply videotaping a deposition does not automatically mean that it will have the desired effect on a jury. For video tape depositions to achieve their optimal effect, they must be conducted by a court reporter that possesses the right technological skills for the job.
In terms of technology, skillful court reporting is based on three factors: the timeliness of the video, the visual quality of the video and the sound quality of the video. The timeliness of a video deposition deals in part with whether or not a court reporter is trained in interactive real-time reporting. Because not all of an organization's officials that deal with a case will be able to attend depositions, it's essential for non-present parties be able to develop responses to depositions as quickly as those who attend them. Without the aid of interactive real-time reporting, an organization's meetings to discuss depositions typically result in numerous questions that must be satisfied by viewing a deposition in its entirety. But with the aid of interactive real-time reporting, the parties to a case can meet to discuss depositions with educated responses and questions in hand.
From an internal standpoint, the video and sound quality of a deposition are usually not critical factors. If the visual quality is mediocre, it rarely matters; due to their knowledge of a case, case officials don't need to be compelled by a "visual account" of a witness's responses. Similarly, if a deposition's sound quality is poor, officials can always refer to the deposition's typed transcript, where the court reporter will have cleared up a witness's inaudible responses. However, when video tape depositions reach the court room, their visual and audio quality can significantly impact a jury's perception of the evidence contained therein. A good court reporting company will present you with the option of using a trained deposition videographer who can record the deposition in Full HD. In addition, a good courting reporting company will provide you with the option of video/text synchronization, where a witness's words appear in text at the bottom of the screen as they speak. Just as important as a court reporter's technological skills at conducting depositions are his or her professional skills. However, even the most clear, concise, revealing depositions are significantly compromised when they contain poor visual quality and poor sound quality.
