I am now at trial in NYC Housing Court in Manhattan, 111 Centre Street, which is a part of the Civil Court. The proceedings are recorded and you can get a copy on CD. I have just found out I can request a court reporter and I would have to pay to get a copy of the transcript. Paying for the transcript can get expensive. I was told by the pro se clerks that you can ask for those fees to be waived if you ask the judge to declare you a poor person. Is that a good idea? I have already had 2 days of trial and go back on January 8.

However, the judge is using his Apple computer and apparently has a voice recognition software program on it. Whenever I (the respondent) or the petitioner (my landlord's attorney) makes an objection , the judge goes back and looks at what was said on his computer. I feel that I should be able to ask the judge what program he is using and that I should be able to get a copy of the transcript that he is using in court to rule on the proceedings. Am I entitled to this and how do I ask the court for this request? Do I make an oral motion or file an order to show cause?
* Last updated by: LESLIE6 on 12/15/2013 @ 9:01 AM *

Remember, as the Course explains, you only need a transcript if it becomes necessary to challenge a judgment. Save your money unless you need to challenge a judgment; then, it may be possible that you will need only a few pages of the transcript. You may be able to "read" the transcript to select just the pages you need.

As for asking the judge what program he is using, I would do so only as an aside, and I would do so with the profoundest respect in my voice, more out of curiosity than sounding like a demand. What the judge is seeing is probably what is going into the record that you will be able to see, eventually, if you need to see it.

It is possible to ask the court reporter to "read back" a portion of the transcript if some testimony needs to be clarified, but I certainly wouldn't ask the judge to "read back". That's not the judge's job.

Keep studying the Course. Every minute you spend in the Course is golden!