Transcripts in court - is it required by law to have one?

[Hawkeye-X]

So I'm hearing the Siegelman story more and more, and now I'm hearing that the court reporter died before the transcript was complete. If there is no transcript of the Siegelman proceedings, would it be overturned and remanded for a new trial under federal law? I'm not real clear on it.

Hawkeye-X

[originalpckelly]

1. I don't care what happened, there is no fucking way...

One cannot get away with a transcriptless court proceeding and call it a just proceeding. It is the most basic of provisions in any court.

This is definitely beyond the pale, and it is a call to action.

Now, we must do something, something more than an election, it simply cannot wait. Something must immediately happen. We must at the very least start protesting.

[rzemanfl]

2. Given the nature of the case, my first question is: what were

the circumstances of the court reporter's death?

[rzemanfl]

3. Whoops! Dupe.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

4. So, what? The tape of the proceeding wasn't buried with her, was it?

:shrug:

Yes, a transcript is absolutely necessary because without it no review can be conducted! Automatic reversal, at least!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. Somebody else could transcribe her stenograph notes.

All I can figure out is that the judge is suppressing the transcript and not letting the notes be transcribed by someone else.

The judge in the Clarence Brandley case (wrongfully convincted black man in Conroe, TX) threatened the court reporter. It later came out that the judge threatened her and made her throw away evidence.

I was a court reporter for nearly 20 years, and this is inexcusable. If the original court reporter was alive and didn't do the transcript they would have been thrown in jail for not doing it, and given a typewriter, paper and carbon paper.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

6. They,...

,...generally speak to a tape recording and transcribe, these days.

You're right. Transcription is absolutely necessary. No conviction can stand without one.