Los Angeles Deputies’ Fate May Rely On Court Documents

Court reporters are absolutely critical — and a court case involving several U.S. deputies and a jail visitor prove it. “A man visiting his brother in Los Angeles County Jail, they said, fought with them in a waiting area and had to be restrained,” according to The Los Angeles Times. “The five deputies involved in the struggle adamantly denied the man’s allegations that he had been handcuffed and then beaten.” Since then, court records show that at least two of the deputies have changed their account of events.

Deputies Noel Womack and Pantamitr Zunggeemoge now say that the jail visitor was, in fact, handcuffed while officers struck him, according to professional court reporting services. Along with revealing new details about what happened that day, Womack and Zunggeemoge both intend to plea guilty and have agreed to testify against the other three deputies if necessary. Admitting these things comes with consequences. Womack, for one, will be resigning from the Los Angeles Country Sheriff Department. He is not welcome to return to the department — or, for that matter, to work in law enforcement — for the remainder of his career. “Prosecutors, for their part, will recommend to the judge that Womack receive no time in prison,” in accordance with Womack’s plea bargain.

The recommendation, of course, is just that — a recommendation. The judge is at liberty to do whatever he deems best, and that’s where court documents and a reliable court reporting agency may come in. The other deputies’ attorneys are already claiming that the confessions are “transparent bids to protect themselves at the expense of the others,” The Los Angeles Times continues. As such, carefully reviewing court documents for inconsistencies and details may ultimately help the judge arrive at an informed decision.

The 21,000 U.S. court reporters go through at least 33.3 months of extensive training and education, and they are known for their accuracy. Each reporter must be able to type a minimum of 225 words per minute with 95% accuracy to ultimately be in charge of recording important court documents.