Which professional acts as a neutral third party in legal proceedings?

In legal proceedings, the role of a court reporter is to create an accurate and verbatim transcript of everything that is said during a trial or hearing. This professional acts as a neutral third party by ensuring that all parties involved have an accurate record of what transpired in the proceedings. Their primary responsibility is to document the spoken word without taking sides or influencing the outcome of the case. This neutrality is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the legal process, allowing judges, attorneys, and other participants to refer back to a precise account of the proceedings as needed.

While judges, attorneys, and paralegals all play important roles in the legal system, their functions are inherently biased toward advocating for their respective clients, making them not neutral parties in the context of legal proceedings. The court reporter’s key purpose as a neutral entity is what distinguishes their role from the others.