Read only copies

[Kerry F]

Seems like I'm running into this a bit more lately...............

Plaintiff's attorney doesn't order a copy and says to send a copy to the witness to read and sign and of course then the plaintiff's attorney gets a free copy.   If the job is for an out-of-state agency, they don't have an office for the witness to go to.  I believe there are read only copies that can be sent electronically that can't be printed, but they can be forwarded to someone, right?

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Send a print-protected PDF to the witness to read & sign.  DO NOT LET ANYONE WEASEL OUT OF BUYING A COPY!!!    When a party to a case does not order a copy of the transcript, send a locked E-Tran, with witness cert/errata sheet. 

Or use pdf-it's read & sign function http://pdf-it.com/erands_service.aspx

PDF-It online read and sign doesn't allow copying, saving, printing--only online viewing, and the link disappears after 30 days. 30-day free trial available to sample the software. 

[Kerry F]

Does etran do all the same things PDF-It does?  Neither of these prohibits forwarding the email containing the copy, though, do they, so someone else besides the witness can read it?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I had this scenario come up where Plaintiff's attorney told me he wasn't ordering a copy because he was getting the original.  However, there was nothing said on the record as to where the original goes, so I went by code.  Sure enough, he calls my office wanting to know where his original was.  I wasn't about to send it to him. 

[Rosalie DeLeonardis]

The out-of-state agency (my experience) will reserve a conference room in the town where witness lives (or nearby), send the transcript to the person in charge of conference room with instructions that person is to read there, no photocopying and such.  

[Kerry F]

Good idea, Rosalie, but most agencies aren't going to pay for a conference room for the witness to read and sign. 

[Rosalie DeLeonardis]

True, but it is the agency's responsibility to make the transcript available for the witness to read and sign.  I'm not sure who would be responsible for payment, whether it be the noticing attorney or the witness' attorney.  Hopefully your agency won't send a condensed to the witness for review.

 

[Kerry F]

They are sending a read only PDF to the witness.  That's all they can do..........

[Dean Morris]

Alderson does.

[Kerry F]

?? Alderson does what, sends read only copies?  The agency I took this job for is sending a secure PDF read only, but still the witness can forward it to his attorney to view on the computer.

[Dean Morris]

Yes, Alderson sends a mini in .pdf form to the witness.  Do not know if it is "secure" or not, but they definitely send a mini in .pdf format.  Kind of a blase', what-can-we-do attitude, in my opinion.

[Kerry F]

"Kind of a blase', what-can-we-do attitude,"

I don't get this that you said either.............

And do you happen to know when they send these secure PDFs if it says not to be used for any other purpose than reviewing and signing your transcript?

[Dean Morris]

I meant that their attitude appeared cavalier, did not appear upset or annoyed, by the fact that Alderson was sending the electronic, mini .pdf to the witness.  Alderson representative said, "What can we do?" to me, in a blase', cavalier, manner, and I wanted to shout:  How about sending the copy to me or to a local agency who would provide an opportunity for the witness to read the transcript in person and then to sign it?  In fact, I may have mentioned that, but Alderson insisted on sending the transcript electronically, in a mini .pdf.

I do not know if it was "secure" at all, and I was not privy to the wording in their E-mail.