Question: What is a Digital Signature?
Answer: A digital signature is an electronic method for signing and authenticating documents retrieved via the Internet with the ability to, at some later date, test the veracity of such documents to ensure they have not been tampered with or altered in anyway and are in conformance with UETA or the Union Electronic Transactions Act.
A digital signature verifies two things: the source of a document, and its integrity. When court reporters electronically sign a transcript, the entire document is mathematically manipulated to produce a fingerprint, which is then encrypted along with a unique id. When the recipient checks the signature, it will fail to verify if even a single character has been changed. This assures that your document has not been tampered with.
In the days of proprietary e-mail systems, “return receipts” were a standard feature. The interoperability and flexibility of the Internet has brought many benefits, but reliable and consistent return receipts were lost. The court reporter has no way of guaranteeing what kind of computer the recipient of an e-mail will be using, much less which of dozens of e-mail programs.
E-mail, however, is by no means the only way to deliver documents. In the case of transcripts and other court documents, it is most likely not even the most common method.
The client/server structure of the Internet allows Benedia Court Reporting Services to place a document on our server with restricted access. The attorneys, must pass virtual security checkpoints to gain access, then hold the document for pickup. This verifies the identity of the recipients, allows each to pick up the document at his or her leisure, and prevents “clogged e-mail syndrome,” where megabytes of documents must be processed before the e-mail program can pick up other critical e-mail.
Our server program keeps a log of who has accessed the documents, and these logs can be used in lieu of return receipts to assure that the documents have, indeed, been picked up.
Question: Is the transcript admissible in court?
- Yes, if your transcript comes with a digital certificate. Just print the digital certificate provided with each transcript downloaded. UETA rules state a record or signature will not be denied legal effect and enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Electronic_Transactions_Act). Any law that requires writing will be satisfied by an electronic record. Any signature requirement in the law will be met if there is an electronic signature.”
Things You Should Know!
Court reporters usually create verbatim transcripts of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, and other events. Written accounts of spoken words are sometimes necessary for correspondence, records, or legal proof, and court reporters provide those accounts. Court reporters play a critical role not only in judicial proceedings, but also at every meeting where the spoken word must be preserved as a written transcript. These written transcripts are required for correspondence as records, legal proofs, etc. and these vital documents are generated and provided by the court reporters. They are responsible for ensuring a complete, accurate, and secure legal record. There are several methods of court reporting; the most common is stenographic.
Using a stenotype machine, steno typists document all statements made in official proceedings. The machine allows them to press multiple keys at once to record combinations of letters representing sounds, words, or phrases. These symbols are electronically recorded and then translated and displayed as text in a process called computer-aided transcription (CAT). In real-time court reporting, the stenotype machine is linked to computers for real-time captioning, often of television programs. As the reporter keys in the symbols, the spoken words instantly appear as text on the screen.
Direct record reporting is one used method of court reporting. Another method for reposting is known as Digital Reporting. Digital Reporting uses audio equipment to record court proceedings. The court reporter monitors the process, takes notes to identify speakers, and listens to the recording on a delay to ensure its clarity and quality. The equipment used may include analog tape recorders or digital equipment. Electronic reporters and transcribers often are responsible for producing a written transcript of the recorded proceeding.
