AL Court Reporter cheat sheet

The record is preserved verbatim: reporters transcribe all spoken words including objections, sidebars placed on the record, and bench conferences only when ordered recorded.

A reporter may be sworn to secrecy or instructed by the judge; off-the-record discussions are excluded from the transcript unless the judge directs otherwise.

Conflicts of interest (familial, financial, or prior representation of a party) must be disclosed on the record and may require recusal.

Ex parte communication about a pending case with a judge or party is prohibited; all substantive communication occurs in open court or on the record.

Reporters must not alter, edit, or summarize testimony; certified transcripts may only be corrected by court order or stipulation under rules of procedure.

Readback requests are honored by reading the exact recorded words; reporters do not paraphrase or characterize testimony.

Confidentiality attaches to sealed proceedings, grand jury testimony, and juvenile matters; disclosure requires court authorization.

Physical or digital notes and audio backups are retained per jurisdiction retention schedules; destruction before the retention period is an ethical violation.

Certification attests to the accuracy of the transcript; a reporter cannot certify a transcript prepared or materially edited by another person without disclosure.

Sua sponte = an action taken by the court on its own motion, without a party's request.

Ex parte = a proceeding or communication involving only one side, typically for emergency relief.

Res judicata bars relitigation of a claim already finally adjudicated; collateral estoppel bars relitigation of a specific issue.

Voir dire = the examination of prospective jurors; also used for preliminary examination of a witness's qualifications.

Stare decisis = courts adhere to precedent established by prior decisions in the same or higher courts.

Nunc pro tunc = an order effective as of a prior date, correcting the record retroactively.

Motion in limine = a pretrial request to exclude or limit evidence before it is offered to the jury.

Sustain = the judge agrees with an objection (evidence excluded); overrule = the judge disagrees (evidence admitted).

Habeas corpus = a writ compelling a custodian to produce a detained person and justify the detention.

Use the serial (Oxford) comma in a series of three or more items for clarity: 'red, white, and blue.'

A compound sentence joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) takes a comma before the conjunction.

Do not use a comma to join two independent clauses without a conjunction; use a semicolon or a period (comma splice).

Introductory dependent clauses and long introductory phrases are followed by a comma; restrictive clauses are not set off by commas.

Possessive of singular nouns adds 's (the witness's statement); plural nouns ending in s add only an apostrophe (the witnesses' statements).

Use a colon to introduce a list or explanation after a complete independent clause; use a semicolon between closely related independent clauses.

Quotation marks enclose exact spoken words; periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks in American style.

Subject-verb agreement: collective nouns (jury, court) take a singular verb when acting as a unit.

Distinguish homophones common in legal text: 'principal/principle,' 'counsel/council,' 'elicit/illicit,' 'statute/statue.'

-ectomy = surgical removal (appendectomy); -otomy = incision into (tracheotomy); -ostomy = creating an opening (colostomy).

-itis = inflammation (arthritis); -osis = abnormal condition (scoliosis); -oma = tumor (carcinoma).

Prefixes: hyper- = excessive/above; hypo- = deficient/below; tachy- = fast; brady- = slow; dys- = difficult or abnormal.

Contusion = bruise (intact skin); abrasion = scraping of skin; laceration = jagged tear; puncture = small penetrating wound.

Proximal = nearer to the point of attachment or trunk; distal = farther from it.

Anterior/ventral = front; posterior/dorsal = back; superior = above; inferior = below; medial = midline; lateral = away from midline.

Myocardial infarction = heart muscle damage from blocked coronary blood flow; ischemia = inadequate blood supply to tissue.

Subdural hematoma = blood between dura and arachnoid; epidural hematoma = blood between skull and dura.

Common abbreviations: BP (blood pressure), CBC (complete blood count), EKG/ECG (electrocardiogram), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), ROM (range of motion).

Stenotype keyboard layout: left bank (initial consonants), vowel keys (A O E U), and right bank (final consonants), plus number bar.

Number bar: pressing a key with the number bar produces numerals; 'AO' pattern commonly yields '00' for hundreds.

Briefs and phrases (e.g., 'and the,' 'in the matter of') increase speed by reducing keystrokes; each must be memorized and consistently applied.

Fingerspelling and 'steno alphabet' are used for unusual words, names, and technical terms not in the dictionary.

Writing conflict-free: the same stroke cannot produce two different words in one dictionary; conflicts are resolved with alternate strokes or briefs.

Speed building uses progressive dictation at 10-20 wpm above current comfort speed, then accuracy passes at target speed.

Real-time translation requires clean, consistent writing; dropped or misstroked keys produce untranslates that must be resolved.

Dictation punctuation is written on the fly: periods, commas, question marks, and paragraph marks are stroked as separate keys.

Standard certification speeds: 180-225 wpm range depending on credential (e.g., RPR, RMR, CRR), with accuracy thresholds on timed tests.

Transcript format: caption page, appearances, index, proceedings, and certification, in that order per jurisdiction rules.

Speaker identification uses Q/A format for examination; colloquy is identified by speaker name or role in brackets.

Verbatim transcription includes false starts, repetitions, and filler words unless the jurisdiction permits omission of non-substantive sounds.

'[sic]' marks an apparent error in the original statement; it is not used to correct grammar or spelling in the transcript.

Unintelligible passages are marked '[inaudible]' or with bracketed descriptions; guessing at words is prohibited.

Proofreading passes: first for content/omissions, second for spelling and punctuation, third for formatting and page/line numbering.

Page and line numbering (typically 25 lines per page, numbered 1-25) must be consistent; line numbers align with the left margin.

Homophone check in legal text: 'their/there/they're,' 'your/you're,' 'its/it's,' 'cite/site/sight,' 'waive/wave.'

Certification block includes reporter's name, certificate number, expiration, and jurat language as required by the jurisdiction.

A reporter shall not accept an assignment where compensation is contingent on the content or outcome of the transcript.

Reporters must disclose any relationship with parties, counsel, or witnesses that could impair impartiality.

A reporter may not give legal advice or interpret testimony for a party; interpretation is the court's function.

Transcripts must be delivered to all parties as ordered; preferential release to one side violates impartiality rules.

Errors discovered after certification are corrected by errata or stipulation, not by silent alteration of the certified record.

A reporter who is a material witness to an event in the case should decline the assignment to avoid conflicting roles.

Advertising and solicitation by reporters are restricted; reporters may not solicit business from parties in a pending case.

Retention and security of notes and audio must protect confidentiality; unauthorized access or release is a violation.

Affidavit = sworn written statement; deposition = out-of-court sworn testimony recorded for discovery or trial use.

Arraignment = initial appearance where charges are read and a plea entered; indictment = formal charge returned by a grand jury.

Burden of proof: preponderance of the evidence (civil), clear and convincing (some civil), beyond a reasonable doubt (criminal).

Direct examination = questioning by the calling party; cross-examination = questioning by the opposing party; redirect follows cross.

Sustained objection excludes the answer; the reporter notes the objection and ruling but does not record stricken testimony as evidence.

Mistrial = a trial terminated without a verdict; mistrial may be declared for prejudicial error or a hung jury.

Continuance = postponement of a proceeding; default = failure to appear or respond, often resulting in judgment for the opposing party.

Tort terms: negligence (breach of duty causing harm), proximate cause (legally sufficient causal link), damages (monetary compensation).

Use 'who' for subjects, 'whom' for objects: 'Who called the witness?' vs. 'Whom did the court call?'

Its = possessive; it's = it is. Verify before finalizing any transcript.

Use em dashes (-) for abrupt breaks; en dashes (–) for ranges; hyphens for compound modifiers before a noun.

Numbers: spell out one through nine, use numerals for 10 and above in general text; always use numerals with units and in legal citations per style guide.

Ellipsis (…) indicates omission of words; do not use it to indicate a pause in testimony-use a dash or note the pause.

Parallel structure: items in a series must share grammatical form (nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs).

Avoid dangling modifiers: the introductory phrase must modify the subject of the main clause.

Use brackets [ ] for editorial insertions; parentheses ( ) for parenthetical asides and dates.

Anatomical planes: sagittal (left/right), coronal/frontal (front/back), transverse (upper/lower).

Vital signs: BP, HR, RR, temperature, and oxygen saturation (SpO2); normal adult HR 60-100 bpm, RR 12-20/min.

Fracture types: simple/closed (skin intact), compound/open (bone breaks skin), comminuted (multiple fragments), greenstick (incomplete, common in children).

Diagnostic suffixes: -gram (record, e.g., mammogram), -graphy (process of recording), -scopy (visual examination), -opsy (viewing, biopsy).

Cardiac terms: angina (chest pain from ischemia), arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm), tachycardia (fast), bradycardia (slow), hypertension (high BP).

Neurological terms: aphasia (language impairment), ataxia (loss of coordination), paresthesia (tingling), syncope (fainting).

Pharmacology: analgesic (pain relief), antiemetic (nausea), anticoagulant (clot prevention), antibiotic (bacterial infection).

Directional terms: flexion (decrease angle), extension (increase angle), abduction (away from midline), adduction (toward midline).

Steno order: initial consonants (STKPWHRAO*EUFRPBLGTSDZ) - left hand writes initial consonants, right hand writes final consonants.

Vowel keys: A, O, E, U; the asterisk (*) key marks corrections or special strokes.

Number bar combinations: 'AO' = 0, 'AOE' = 00, 'AOEU' = 000; number bar + keys produce digits 1-9 and 0.

Briefs: 'and' = SKP, 'the' = -T, 'of' = -F, 'to' = TO; phrases combine strokes for speed.

Conflict resolution: use alternate strokes (e.g., 'there' vs. 'their' vs. 'they're') and dictionary entries to avoid mistranslation.

Speed building: practice at 10-20 wpm above target, then accuracy passes at target speed with <1% error rate.

Real-time: consistent writing and dictionary maintenance reduce untranslates; resolve them before certification.

Punctuation strokes: period = -P, comma = -PL, question mark = -FPLT, paragraph = -P-P.

Transcript structure: caption page, appearances, index, proceedings, certification, errata (if any).

Q/A format: 'Q.' and 'A.' with speaker identification; colloquy identified by role in brackets.

Verbatim rules: include false starts and repetitions; omit only non-substantive sounds per jurisdiction rules.

Mark unintelligible passages '[inaudible]' or with bracketed descriptions; never guess.

Proofreading passes: content/omissions, spelling/punctuation, formatting/page-line numbering.

Page format: 25 lines per page numbered 1-25, aligned left; consistent margins and line spacing.

Homophone check: their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, cite/site/sight, waive/wave.

Certification block: reporter name, certificate number, expiration, jurat language per jurisdiction.

Oath administration: reporter administers oath to witnesses, interpreters, and deponents as required.

Record preservation: all spoken words including objections and bench conferences only when ordered recorded.

Off-the-record discussions excluded unless the judge directs otherwise; note the ruling in the record.

Readback: read exact recorded words; do not paraphrase or characterize testimony.

Confidentiality: sealed proceedings, grand jury testimony, juvenile matters require court authorization for disclosure.

Retention: notes and audio backups retained per jurisdiction schedules; early destruction is an ethical violation.

Certification: reporter attests accuracy; cannot certify a transcript materially edited by another without disclosure.

Conflict disclosure: familial, financial, or prior representation relationships must be disclosed on the record.

No contingent compensation: reporter may not accept fees based on transcript content or case outcome.

Disclose relationships with parties, counsel, or witnesses that could impair impartiality.

No legal advice or interpretation of testimony; interpretation is the court's function.

Deliver transcripts to all parties as ordered; preferential release violates impartiality.

Post-certification errors corrected by errata or stipulation, not silent alteration.

Decline assignments where the reporter is a material witness to avoid conflicting roles.

Advertising restrictions: no solicitation from parties in pending cases.

Security of notes and audio: unauthorized access or release is a violation.

Affidavit = sworn written statement; deposition = out-of-court sworn testimony for discovery or trial.

Arraignment = initial appearance, charges read, plea entered; indictment = formal charge by grand jury.

Burden of proof: preponderance (civil), clear and convincing (some civil), beyond reasonable doubt (criminal).

Direct examination = calling party; cross-examination = opposing party; redirect follows cross.

Sustained objection excludes the answer; reporter notes objection and ruling but does not record stricken testimony as evidence.

Mistrial = trial terminated without verdict; may be declared for prejudicial error or hung jury.

Continuance = postponement; default = failure to appear or respond, often judgment for opposing party.

Tort terms: negligence (breach causing harm), proximate cause (legally sufficient causal link), damages (monetary compensation).

Who = subject, whom = object: 'Who called the witness?' vs. 'Whom did the court call?'

Its = possessive; it's = it is; verify before finalizing.

Em dash (-) for abrupt breaks; en dash (–) for ranges; hyphen for compound modifiers before a noun.

Numbers: spell out one through nine; numerals for 10+; always numerals with units and legal citations per style guide.

Ellipsis (…) indicates omission; do not use for pauses-use a dash or note the pause.

Parallel structure: series items share grammatical form.

Avoid dangling modifiers: introductory phrase must modify the main clause subject.

Brackets [ ] for editorial insertions; parentheses ( ) for asides and dates.

Anatomical planes: sagittal (left/right), coronal (front/back), transverse (upper/lower).

Vital signs: BP, HR, RR, temperature, SpO2; normal adult HR 60-100, RR 12-20.

Fracture types: simple/closed, compound/open, comminuted (multiple fragments), greenstick (incomplete, children).

Suffixes: -gram (record), -graphy (process of recording), -scopy (visual exam), -opsy (viewing, biopsy).

Cardiac: angina (ischemic chest pain), arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm), tachycardia (fast), bradycardia (slow), hypertension.

Neurological: aphasia (language impairment), ataxia (loss of coordination), paresthesia (tingling), syncope (fainting).

Pharmacology: analgesic (pain), antiemetic (nausea), anticoagulant (clot prevention), antibiotic (bacterial).

Directional: flexion (decrease angle), extension (increase), abduction (away from midline), adduction (toward midline).

Steno order: initial consonants left hand, vowel keys A O E U, final consonants right hand; asterisk for corrections.

Number bar: AO=0, AOE=00, AOEU=000; number bar + keys produce digits 1-9 and 0.

Briefs: 'and'=SKP, 'the'=-T, 'of'=-F, 'to'=TO; phrases combine strokes for speed.

Conflict resolution: alternate strokes and dictionary entries prevent mistranslation.

Speed building: practice 10-20 wpm above target, then accuracy passes at target with <1% error.

Real-time: consistent writing and dictionary maintenance reduce untranslates; resolve before certification.

Punctuation strokes: period=-P, comma=-PL, question mark=-FPLT, paragraph=-P-P.

Fingerspelling for names and technical terms not in the dictionary.

Transcript structure: caption, appearances, index, proceedings, certification, errata.

Q/A format with speaker identification; colloquy identified by role in brackets.

Verbatim: include false starts and repetitions; omit only non-substantive sounds per rules.

Mark unintelligible passages '[inaudible]' or bracketed description; never guess.

Proofreading passes: content/omissions, spelling/punctuation, formatting/page-line numbering.

Page format: 25 lines per page numbered 1-25, aligned left; consistent margins.

Homophone check: their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, cite/site/sight, waive/wave.

Certification block: reporter name, certificate number, expiration, jurat language.

Oath administration to witnesses, interpreters, and deponents as required.

Record preservation: all spoken words including objections; bench conferences only when ordered recorded.

Off-the-record excluded unless judge directs; note ruling in record.

Readback: exact recorded words; no paraphrase or characterization.

Confidentiality: sealed proceedings, grand jury, juvenile matters require court authorization.

Retention: notes and audio per jurisdiction schedules; early destruction is an ethical violation.

Certification: attests accuracy; no certification of materially edited transcript without disclosure.

Conflict disclosure: familial, financial, prior representation relationships on the record.

No contingent compensation based on transcript content or case outcome.

Disclose relationships with parties, counsel, or witnesses impairing impartiality.

No legal advice or interpretation of testimony; interpretation is the court's function.

Deliver transcripts to all parties as ordered; preferential release violates impartiality.

Post-certification errors corrected by errata or stipulation, not silent alteration.

Decline assignments where reporter is a material witness.

Advertising restrictions: no solicitation from parties in pending cases.

Security of notes and audio; unauthorized access or release is a violation.

Affidavit = sworn written statement; deposition = out-of-court sworn testimony for discovery or trial.

Arraignment = initial appearance, charges read, plea entered; indictment = formal charge by grand jury.

Burden of proof: preponderance (civil), clear and convincing (some civil), beyond reasonable doubt (criminal).

Direct examination = calling party; cross = opposing party; redirect follows cross.

Sustained objection excludes the answer; reporter notes objection and ruling but does not record stricken testimony as evidence.

Mistrial = trial terminated without verdict; may be declared for prejudicial error or hung jury.

Continuance = postponement; default = failure to appear or respond, often judgment for opposing party.

Tort terms: negligence (breach causing harm), proximate cause (legally sufficient causal link), damages (monetary compensation).

Who = subject, whom = object: 'Who called the witness?' vs. 'Whom did the court call?'

Its = possessive; it's = it is; verify before finalizing.

Em dash (-) for abrupt breaks; en dash (–) for ranges; hyphen for compound modifiers before a noun.

Numbers: spell out one through nine; numerals for 10+; always numerals with units and legal citations per style guide.

Ellipsis (…) indicates omission; do not use for pauses-use a dash or note the pause.

Parallel structure: series items share grammatical form.

Avoid dangling modifiers: introductory phrase must modify the main clause subject.

Brackets [ ] for editorial insertions; parentheses ( ) for asides and dates.

Anatomical planes: sagittal (left/right), coronal (front/back), transverse (upper/lower).

Vital signs: BP, HR, RR, temperature, SpO2; normal adult HR 60-100, RR 12-20.

Fracture types: simple/closed, compound/open, comminuted (multiple fragments), greenstick (incomplete, children).

Suffixes: -gram (record), -graphy (process of recording), -scopy (visual exam), -opsy (viewing, biopsy).

Cardiac: angina (ischemic chest pain), arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm), tachycardia (fast), bradycardia (slow), hypertension.

Neurological: aphasia (language impairment), ataxia (loss of coordination), paresthesia (tingling), syncope (fainting).

Pharmacology: analgesic (pain), antiemetic (nausea), anticoagulant (clot prevention), antibiotic (bacterial).

Directional: flexion (decrease angle), extension (increase), abduction (away from midline), adduction (toward midline).

Steno order: initial consonants left hand, vowel keys A O E U, final consonants right hand; asterisk for corrections.

Number bar: AO=0, AOE=00, AOEU=000; number bar + keys produce digits 1-9 and 0.

Briefs: 'and'=SKP, 'the'=-T, 'of'=-F, 'to'=TO; phrases combine strokes for speed.

Conflict resolution: alternate strokes and dictionary entries prevent mistranslation.

Speed building: practice 10-20 wpm above target, then accuracy passes at target with <1% error.

Real-time: consistent writing and dictionary maintenance reduce untranslates; resolve before certification.

Punctuation strokes: period=-P, comma=-PL, question mark=-FPLT, paragraph=-P-P.

Fingerspelling for names and technical terms not in the dictionary.

Transcript structure: caption, appearances, index, proceedings, certification, errata.

Q/A format with speaker identification; colloquy identified by role in brackets.

Verbatim: include false starts and repetitions; omit only non-substantive sounds per rules.

Mark unintelligible passages '[inaudible]' or bracketed description; never guess.

Proofreading passes: content/omissions, spelling/punctuation, formatting/page-line numbering.

Page format: 25 lines per page numbered 1-25, aligned left; consistent margins.

Homophone check: their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, cite/site/sight, waive/wave.

Certification block: reporter name, certificate number, expiration, jurat language.