The court reporter requires an office to transcribe tapes and notes of trial proceedings. This exacting work requires an environment conducive to sustained concentration with minimum interruption. Each reporter may have his or her own office, although some jurisdictions group all reporters into a common, shared area.
Court reporters' offices may be located either in the private or public areas of the courthouse, depending upon the organization of reporting services. If court reporters are assigned permanently to one judge, then they may be located in the private areas; if court reporters are assigned from a pool, then their offices may be located off the public corridors. They should, however, have access to the private circulation corridor that runs between the courtroom and their offices.
The offices should be located near the judges' chambers and the courtrooms so that the reporter can quickly move back and forth as required.
Each court reporter should have a separate, private office in which to transcribe court proceedings and store equipment.
Because a court reporter's work requires intense concentration, the office should be quiet, comfortable, and well lighted.
Space should be allocated for a desk, word processor or personal computer, video display monitor and printer, sound recording devices, and storage cabinets for tape recorders, sound recorders, tapes, records, and notes.
The office should be fully accessible and accommodate a wheelchair.
The court reporter's office should fall within standard courthouse security procedures.
The court reporter's office should be approximately 120 square feet. For a multi-reporter suite, space requirements will depend on the number of reporters and types of workstations to be included.
Greater use of automated transcription and audio-video equipment requires sufficient telephone jacks and electrical outlets.