More and more firms require court reporters in Seattle Washington to use technology that will save time and money and help them win cases.
New video technology and software have made video depositions an integral part of the attorney’s case-building and discovery process. Video depositions have now become affordable and less cumbersome – i.e. more miniaturized and streamlined. Many attorneys and court reporters are favoring the increased use of video depositions because no matter how accurate a written deposition is, a written text cannot, and does not, show body language or subtle non-verbal cues that can be shown on video. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then video deposition is obviously priceless to the court reporter and legal professionals.
However, video depositions do not minimize a court reporter’s role. The court reporter must still be present to transcribe and oversee the deposition. Court reporters must work hand–in–hand with the videographer to optimize the positioning and setup of both the court reporter’s equipment and the video recording equipment. Given the need for such coordination, most court reporters will have a preference regarding the videographer they want to work with, often from the same company. Most court reporting companies have their own videographers and video equipment.
Most courts now permit video depositions to be admitted into evidence at trial provided the party wishing to introduce the video satisfies the traditional admissibility factors – i.e. adequate foundation laid, authenticity, accuracy, and probative value. However, ensuring videos can be used as evidence means overcoming the many things that can go wrong. Careful pre-planning is mandatory if the objective of the video deposition is to have it admitted into evidence at trial. The attorney’s staff must carefully conduct their due diligence to satisfy themselves that the equipment to be used is top quality and that the video filming will be done professionally, by experienced personnel. In addition, the videographer may have to take the stand to authenticate the video and lay a foundation for its use as evidence. Therefore, the videographer must be comfortable and experienced at testifying and knowledgeable about how to get the video admitted into evidence.
Given the obvious benefits of video depositions, there is really no reason to take a wait-and-see attitude if attorneys plan to provide the best representation for their clients.
