Which standards guide the admissibility and integrity of digital transcripts in court?

• A. Public records laws unrelated to transcripts.
• B. Local, state, and federal court rules for authenticity, chain of custody, and admissibility of electronic records.
• C. Industry standards for stenography speed.
• D. Only local court rules for formatting.

Answer: (B)

Admissibility and integrity of digital transcripts are governed by standards that come from court rules addressing electronic records across jurisdictions. These standards require authenticity—proving the transcript truly reflects what occurred in court; chain of custody—documenting every handling step to prevent tampering; and admissibility—laying out when and how electronic records may be admitted, including how they’re certified, stored, and presented. Because digital transcripts function as official court evidence, guidance on them comes from local, state, and federal court rules, not from unrelated public-records statutes, industry stenography speed, or formatting alone. This combination of authenticity, custody, and admissibility rules across jurisdictions is what ensures the transcript’s reliability and legal acceptability.