‘Voice writers’ helping bridge gap of court reporter shortage in Iowa
By Digital Staff
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCCI) — Amid the ongoing shortage of court reporters here in Iowa, a new software solution is helping fill more of those positions.
State lawmakers now allow “Voice Writers” to serve as court reporters. They document the entire court record like any other court reporter, but use their voice and a microphone to dictate instead of a traditional stenotype machine.
Iowa’s 6th Judicial District, which covers parts of Linn County only has half the court reporters it needs, and a shortage of court reporters can lead to constitutional violations and increased costs.
“We have to prioritize cases and balance that with the resources that we have,” said Kelle Cortez, District Court administrator for the 6th Judicial District. “When it comes to the court reporter shortage that we have, that has huge impacts on scheduling.”
Certification to become a voice writer court reporter takes half the time of a stenographer.
Right now, there are still 12 positions left in Iowa’s 6th Judicial District.
To learn more on how to get certified, just visit NVRA.org.
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