court-records
Justice Court Audio Rcordings
<p>In NY, justice courts are to record proceedings, except when there is a court stenographer.  </p>

<p>Are these recordings court records?</p>

<p>If they are court records, and the case has not been sealed, or the criminal case not been dismissed, are they inspectable by the public?</p>

<p>If the parallel holds with English courts, then these are indeed court records. The recording itself is not made available to the public, to avoid tampering; but it is possible to have a particular recording transcribed by a court-approved stenographer, and (after approval by the judge, to ensure no egregious errors slipped through and the case was not heard in private) the transcript made available to the public like any other document. There is of course a fee for transcription; like any other fee, it can be waived by the judge but like any other fee the judges are asked not to waive it except in exceptional circumstances.</p>
