Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why should I use a stenographer?
   Because nothing replaces the human element in making sure your record is complete and accurate. Please see Stenographic Reporting under "What We Do" above for a more complete list of reasons stenographers are the best choice for your proceedings.
2. What are the benefits of a video deposition?
   Legal videography has many advantages depending on the needs of your case.
   
   • First, videography allows jurors to see and hear the witness in a way that most jurors are used to managing their information:  in video format. We are a video and digital society, viewing almost everything two dimensionally.  Allowing the jury to absorb a deponent’s testimony both audibly and visually attracts jurors with aptitudes from both sides of the spectrum.
   • Second, if you have a witness who may not be available for trial, preserving their testimony on video makes them “virtually” available for trial testimony. Your case may not merit the costly appearance of an expert live at trial. Taking a doctor or expert witness’s testimony as if they were appearing before the jury and recording it via video also allows the jury to see and hear the testimony of your expert as if they were attending in person.
   • Third, if you expect your witness to be argumentative or have some sort of attitude during the deposition, a video recording will pick up the tone of voice, voice inflections, and mannerisms that the written word will not convey. This may also be helpful in front of a judge or jury for motions and trial purposes.
   Videography may seem too expensive, but is your case worth it? Can you afford to lose a juror’s attention because they would rather see the witness than read the testimony? Can you afford a doctor’s presence at trial rather than taking his trial testimony on his time? In some cases, the benefits certainly outweigh the cost.
3. What is streaming realtime?
   Summit City Reporting realtime reporters have the ability to set up your realtime deposition so that it can be streamed over the internet. This can be done with text only or text and video. There is also a chat or instant message capability if you choose to activate it. This means that you can have a virtual war room from the deposition suite with your paralegal and/or associate at the office, your client down the street, and your expert across the country. Instead of all these folks disrupting their days with travel to the deposition, we can connect them “live” to the realtime transcript so they can interact with you via the chat capability. You can also ask them to verify information or testimony on the fly.
   We would be happy to show you a short demonstration of this at your office. Please give us a call at 260.486.3954 to set up an appointment.
4. Why should I bundle my transcript, exhibits, and video (if applicable)?
   Bundling your transcript and exhibits on a CD is great for digital review of your documents or to import into your litigation support software or trial software. If you’re already using Summation, LiveNote, TrialDirector, or any other litigation support software, receiving digital copies of your transcripts and exhibits will lessen your time in scanning documents into that software. Also, you can easily review the transcript and exhibits side-by-side on your computer screen with a simple click of the exhibit link within the transcript.
   With the video also bundled and synchronized with the transcript, you have the capability of clicking on a particular line of text and starting the video at exactly that point. Transcript, exhibit, and associated video are right there on your screen. The software used by SCR to deliver your synchronized video also allows you to highlight portions of text and clip them out to a file to be e-mailed, imported to your trial PowerPoint presentation, or to your litigation support software. It’s as easy as using a highlighter.
   If you would like a demonstration of this fantastic software, please give us a call at 260.486.3954.
5. What geographic area does SCR cover?
   Please see About SCR for a full list of counties and cities we serve.