First ‘voice writers’ help address Iowa’s court reporter shortage

Most think of an official court reporter as the person sitting near the judge’s bench, typing on a steno machine to make a record of the proceedings. But there also are voice writers who, instead of typing, speak into a microphone enclosed by a mask.

The mask serves as a silencer for the microphone as the voice writer provides verbatim transcription of the court record, which is then converted into a real-time transcript with computer-aided software.

Voice writing isn’t a new profession for courts or transcription work. Voice writers have been working as court reporters for years in other state’s courts, legal freelancers and in the military. But they are new to Iowa courts.

In November, the Iowa Supreme Court expanded the definition of “certified shorthand reporters” — also known as steno machine writers — to include “certified verbatim reporters” — also known as voice writers.

Court reporter positions are crucial to the judicial system because they are responsible for making an accurate and official record of trials and other court proceedings. But there has been a critical shortage of court reporters over the last several years, so the court system hopes this rule change will help fill the 45 vacancies across the state.

First in Iowa

The court’s order went into effect Jan. 1, and Crystal Beaman started Jan. 2 as the first voice writer in the 6th Judicial District, which includes Linn and Johnson counties — and in the state.

“It’s daunting to be the first one in Iowa but I’m excited about this opportunity,” Beaman told The Gazette during an interview at the Linn County Courthouse. “It’s been hard knowing your skills are in demand because of the court reporter shortage, but not being able to work in your state’s court system.”

Beaman, who lives in Palo, was nationally certified in 2021 after graduating from the International Realtime Court Reporter Institute in Little Rock, Ark., an online program. She took a chance last March and filled out an application for a court reporter. Beaman knew she didn’t qualify for Iowa courts but thought it might open up a conversation about voice writers in light of the shortage.

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Kellee Cortez, 6th district court administrator who also is a former court reporter, replied to Beaman because she wanted to encourage her to not give up hope, telling her a committee was looking at options to help ease the shortage.

Cortez had done research on voice writers and learned the education and standards were the same as for steno writers, and that Iowa was only one of four states — Illinois, Idaho and New Jersey — that didn’t recognize voice writers as certified court reporters.

This seemed unreasonable since the 6th District had 11 open positions and “we couldn’t hire this certified reporter” because she was a voice writer, Cortez said.

She also pointed out that of the working court reporters statewide, 56 have reached the minimum age to retire — if they choose — under the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System.

Cortez reached out to her boss, Bob Gast, state court administrator with the Iowa Judicial Branch. Gast said he would put the topic on the agenda of the Court Reporter Utilization Committee, which is working to find solutions to the shortage.

Gast said the committee discussed it and made a recommendation to change the rules to allow voice writers. Iowa Supreme Court justices approved the recommendation.

“It’s not a solution but it will help,” Gast said. “In the past, the standards were not the same as for steno, but those changed and now are the same.”

Second in state

The 2nd Judicial District — which includes 22 counties in North Central Iowa — also recently hired a voice writer, Kaycee Kruger of Sheffield, who just started Friday. She graduated in May from Cuyahoga Community College in Highland Hills, Ohio, also an online program, and was certified in November 2023.

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Kruger and Beaman had similar career paths. Both started out as steno machine writers, but had difficulty reaching the typing speed of 225 words per minute needed to be certified. Both say that’s the biggest difference and for them — it was easier to meet that speed verbally.

A steno machine writer also must “learn a whole new language,” Beaman said.

A steno machine has 22 keys and works when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously to spell out syllables, words and phrases. It’s different from a typical keyboard on a laptop or desktop computer.

Voice writers build their own shorthand that’s easier for them to memorize when using common phrases, such as “ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” which Kruger calls “lagent.” Or “prezzy state” for previously marked as state’s exhibit, as Beaman shortened. The software will translate the actual word or phrase for the transcript in real time.

Beaman and Kruger said working on a steno machine also took a toll on their bodies. Both had back pain from sitting and typing for hours, and Kruger also had hand issues.

Beaman, in contract work in Colorado, covered civil and criminal trials over Zoom but hadn’t worked in-person at a trial until she started with the 6th District and was assigned the Kazius Childress murder trial last month in Linn County.

She said she didn’t encounter any problems and everything went smoothly.

Kruger and Beaman said they would encourage others to pursue voice writing if steno machine writing didn’t appeal to them. There are many schools that offer the online classes for voice writers and the program takes less time, about a year, compared with at least two years for steno writing.

There is only one school in Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College, that has an online steno machine curriculum, but no voice program.

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The online programs do require testing in person but Kruger and Beaman said there is usually more than one option of places to test.

Cortez said during the last year, the 6th District lost two court reporters who went through the schooling and passed national certification but couldn’t pass Iowa certification. However, there’s another clerk who decided to pursue voice writing and will hopefully pass and be able to start as a court reporter this year.

Gast said allowing voice writers also opens up new recruiting prospects for the courts, such as veterans who may have been voice writers in the military. The utilization committee is always open to any ideas that will help reduce the shortage, he said.

“We are committed to keeping court reporters and will use these hybrid systems of steno and voice,” Gast said. “We’ve also added more technology in the courtrooms and have options for audio recording in certain proceedings. I can almost guarantee people a job if they pass the training and certification.”

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com