From the attorneys to the witnesses, there are several important players in court cases. But one critical person often is overlooked — the courtroom reporter.
Lara Goldey, owner of Farris Reporting, 2514 Waterbridge Way, has chronicled depositions and arbitrations for local attorneys for more than 30 years. An Evansville native and North High School graduate, she says her job as a freelance court reporter is about more than pushing buttons.
“For every hour you’re in taking testimony of any kind, to get it to the final product takes about four hours,” says Goldey. “Of course you’re writing, but otherwise you’re translating, editing, proofreading, and binding. You’re doing all that.”
Her team of freelance reporters are called in by attorneys to take down records for civil litigation, criminal litigation, divorces, custody cases, wills, medical cases, and more, which means they never actually go into a courtroom. Goldey has spent her career as a court reporter, but it was not her first thought when she considered her future. In fact, she says if it weren’t for her father, she might not have studied court reporting at all.
“My dad picked the career for me,” says Goldey with a laugh. “He knew I took short hand — which this is short hand on a machine. He did not know I hated it.”
She picked a school — Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois — and began to study courtroom stenography. In 1986, she joined the firm, formerly owned by Judy Farris, and then in 1995, Goldey became the owner. Through the years, she says what she has enjoyed most is the relationships with the people she’s worked with.
“I always tell people — because they have these opinions of lawyers and jokes about them — the thing I have always enjoyed is the attorneys I have worked for,” she says. “The people who I work with, they’re wonderful people.”
Though there have been times when Goldey says she has dealt with horrific cases and felt overwhelmed by the stories she hears, she continues on because she feels it is important to keep the records of the witnesses and victims of cases.
“Sometimes I have to take a step back and remember something a lady in my Bible study told me. She said, ‘You’re the only opportunity where they get to tell their side.’ And I have to remember that,” she says.
For more information about Farris Reporting, call 812-425-6283 or visit farrisreporting.com.
