When it comes to all things legal, time and accuracy are everything. Legal professionals understand the importance of having quick access to depositions or court proceedings. That is where Rough ASCII Transcripts come in, providing fast access to crucial information before a legal transcription is ready.

In this article, you’ll learn how:

• Rough ASCII transcripts provide fast, early access to court testimony for immediate case review and strategy development.
  
• Digital formatting allows easy searching, highlighting, and collaboration, even before certified transcripts are available.
  
• To use Rough ASCII effectively while understanding its limitations and when to rely on certified legal transcripts.

What Is a Rough ASCII Transcript in Legal Transcription?

Rough ASCII transcripts are a preliminary, uncertified version of a legal transcript. They are created by court reporters using a computer-aided software that converts stenographic notes into a transcript, and is made available shortly after the legal proceeding.

ASCII is an acronym for “American Standard Code for Information Exchange”, which consists of codes for English characters and numbers. It is translated by software to a digital, plain-text version of a transcript that can be instantly delivered via email or the cloud.

Why Rough ASCII Transcripts Matter in Legal Proceedings

Case preparation is time-consuming. Every second lost can significantly impact the outcome of a case defense or the submission of a legal document. Rough ASCII transcripts play a crucial role in ensuring that deadlines are met by providing near-real-time information for legal proceedings.

Get Immediate Access to Testimony

Court reporters are very busy, and in many states, they are few and far between. As such, it can take thirty days for a court reporter to prepare a certified legal transcript. Legal teams sometimes can’t wait this long, or they might lose the case. 

When it comes to legal prep, every second counts. A Rough ASCII transcript fills this gap, allowing legal professionals to review, flag key points, and prepare appropriate strategies.

Improve Case Preparation and Team Collaboration

Because Rough ASCII files are digitally formatted, all information about the case can be searched, highlighted, and annotated. 

Trials may take several hours. It’s further complicated by the number of speakers in the courtroom. Finding specific information would be like searching for a needle in a haystack – it would be time-consuming and challenging.

Rough ASCII files allow legal professionals to easily access the information they need and share notes across their team. It accelerates the preparation for a legal proceeding, ultimately enabling the presentation of a solid case.

Start Drafting Without Delays

Early access to a transcript means a longer time for case preparation. Legal professionals handle several cases, and one of the worst things that could happen is to lose momentum due to insufficient material for case preparation.

In Rivera v. City of New York (2004), the plaintiff failed to return the signed deposition transcript and only submitted it 120 days after, 60 days after the deadline. The court emphasized that late submission cannot be accepted without a valid reason. It led to the disregard of correction and ultimately weakened the plaintiff’s position in the case.

Rough ASCII transcripts allow law firms and independent parties to review deadlines, draft motions, and prepare arguments for a legal proceeding. 

Important Limitations of Rough ASCII Transcripts

Although Rough ASCII transcripts are records of legal proceedings, they are not a substitute for a certified legal transcript. Verbatim court reporting services provide accurate transcripts that are legally admissible. Otherwise, relying on Rough ASCII has limitations. 

Unedited and Error-Prone

Rough ASCII is limited to the stenographer’s dictionary. All words that are not decoded by this dictionary result in inaccuracy.

Usually, Rough ASCII “untranslates”, “mistranslates”, and contains spelling issues. These inaccuracies are commonly seen in names and technical terminologies that a court reporter does not initially verify.

Below is an example of an error that can be found in Rough ASCII.

Steno Stroke	Intended Translation	Rough ASCII Output
[PWAU/knee]	Bonnie	paw knee
[KHAO*EB]	Dr. Khayeb	key oh ebb / K.O. ebb
[HROE/BAOE/*LT]	low back belt	hello bee tilt
[TKPWRAOU/TKPWREUPBS]	grew grievance	goo grins
[RAOEPB/A/HREU]	Reena Ali	reen a lie

Legal proceedings (like trials) are commonly recorded. Trial transcription services use audio or video recordings to create a certified transcript that can be used as a legal document.

Not Court-Admissible

Rough ASCII files are helpful in case preparation, but they cannot be used in court filings or as legal evidence. Instead, they can be sent to transcription companies that certify their transcripts, like Ditto. 

Ditto offers a wide range of legal transcription services tailored to various legal needs. 

Additionally, we provide a legal typing service that enables legal professionals to concentrate on building cases.

How to Use Rough ASCII Transcripts Effectively

The value of Rough ASCII Transcripts can be maximized while minimizing risk. Here is how legal professionals can do it: 

Provide Terminology in Advance

Before the legal proceeding, legal professionals can give the court reporter a glossary of relevant names, technical terms, or acronyms. It would help them adjust to technical names or jargon, leading to an improvement in the accuracy of a transcript.

Use for Strategy, Not Citation

Use Rough ASCII Transcripts only for early preparation and not for court filings and submission of evidence. Rough ASCII cannot be quoted in motions, depositions, and hearings.

Courtrooms and judges are strict on the requirements that are legally admissible. Rough ASCII is only helpful to a certain extent, which legal professionals must adhere to.

Compare with Certified Transcript

When a case is prepared, the Rough ASCII must be verified once the certified transcript is released. However, a certified transcript from the court reporting services may take up to 30 days to be released. As an alternative, legal firms may opt to use transcription services like Ditto Transcripts to get the job done.

Ditto offers a certified, highly accurate transcript with fast turnaround time. Below is how Ditto Transcripts compares with a court reporting service.

Feature	Ditto Transcripts	Court Reporting Services
Valid for Legal Use (Certified)	Yes	Yes
U.S.-Based Professionals	Yes	Yes
Turnover rate	A few hours to days	Approximately 30 days
Cost	Standard cost is $1.50 per audio minute	At least $150 per hour

Ditto Transcripts can take the Rough ASCII and provide a certified, legal transcript that is legally admissible. 

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Is a Rough ASCII Transcript Right for Your Legal Team?

For law firms requiring speed, flexibility, and the earliest insight available, a Rough ASCII transcript is a smart tool to use. However, legal professionals must remember to treat it for what it is: a draft version, not a certified legal document. 

A Rough ASCII Transcript, when completed by a transcription company like Ditto, allows for strategic access without sacrificing accuracy or compliance. 

Ditto Transcripts provide guaranteed 99% accuracy, with compliance to CJIS, HIPAA, and FINRA standards.  Our legal transcription prices are transparent, featuring an easy-to-use calculator that enables clients to estimate the cost of our service.

Ditto Transcripts is a CJIS-compliant and HIPAA-compliant, Denver, Colorado-based transcription company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcription services to companies and agencies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial. Visit our website for more information about our transcription services.