GA Court Reporter cheat sheet

The Georgia Board of Court Reporting requires a minimum transcription accuracy of 95% for certification; the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) exam requires 95% accuracy on literary, jury charge, and Q&A portions.

Dictation speeds for certification: 180 wpm for literary, 200 wpm for jury charge, and 225 wpm for Q&A; each test segment is 5 minutes with a 75-minute transcription window.

Stenographic theory conflicts (e.g., homophones like 'there/their/they're') must be resolved by context during transcription; realtime translation must maintain a conflict-free dictionary.

The CAT (computer-aided transcription) system translates steno strokes into English; untranslated strokes appear as raw steno and must be manually corrected before certification.

Accuracy is calculated as: (total words - errors) / total words × 100; errors include misspellings, omitted words, added words, and incorrect punctuation that changes meaning.

Proper nouns, case citations, and legal terms of art must be verified against the record; unfamiliar terms should be researched using the official transcript or legal dictionaries.

Audio backup is recommended but not required by Georgia rule; if used, the court reporter must ensure the backup does not compromise the integrity of the stenographic record.

Transcription turnaround: Georgia rules do not specify a fixed deadline, but the court may order a transcript within a set time; reporters must prioritize criminal appeals and habeas corpus matters.

Literary dictation includes reading of depositions, pleadings, and other documents into the record; it is typically dictated at 180 wpm on certification exams.

Jury charge dictation involves the judge's instructions to the jury, often read at 200 wpm; reporters must accurately capture legal phrases, citations, and statutory language.

When a document is read into the record, the reporter should mark it as read and include the document's identification (e.g., 'Plaintiff's Exhibit 1') rather than transcribing the entire text verbatim unless ordered.

Jury charges may include pattern instructions (e.g., Georgia Suggested Pattern Jury Instructions); reporters should have a pre-built dictionary of common charges to ensure accuracy.

If the judge deviates from the written charge, the reporter must transcribe the spoken words exactly, noting any discrepancies for the record.

Literary dictation often includes punctuation cues (e.g., 'comma', 'period', 'new paragraph'); reporters must insert appropriate punctuation even if not dictated.

During jury charge, the reporter should not interrupt; any unclear portion should be clarified after the jury retires, on the record if necessary.

Georgia law requires the jury charge to be included in the transcript for appeals; the reporter must ensure the charge is complete and accurately reflects the judge's words.

Q&A dictation is typically tested at 225 wpm; it includes colloquy, objections, and witness answers with frequent interruptions and non-verbal cues.

Speakers must be identified by role (e.g., 'THE COURT:', 'MR. SMITH:', 'THE WITNESS:') in the transcript; the first mention should include full names, subsequent mentions use titles.

Non-verbal cues such as laughter, pauses, or gestures should be noted in parentheses only if relevant to the testimony; avoid editorializing.

When multiple speakers overlap, the reporter should transcribe what is audible and note '[inaudible]' or '[overlapping voices]' as appropriate; never guess.

Objections and rulings should be transcribed verbatim; if the judge says 'sustained' or 'overruled', include it and any subsequent instruction to the jury.

Testimony may include technical jargon, accents, or rapid speech; reporters should use their dictionary and may ask for clarification only if the record is unclear, preferably at a break.

The transcript must reflect the question-and-answer format with each speaker on a new line, indented consistently, and colloquy marked as such.

Georgia rule: the reporter is not permitted to summarize testimony; the transcript must be a verbatim record of all proceedings, including sidebars if requested by the court.

Georgia transcripts must include a title page with the case name, court, case number, and a certification signed by the reporter.

The certification states that the transcript is a true and correct record of the proceedings; it must be signed and dated by the reporter, and include the reporter's license number.

Formatting: 25 lines per page, 10 characters per inch (or monospaced font), with line numbers; margins must be at least 1 inch on all sides.

Each page must have a header with the case style and page number; the first page of testimony should include the witness's name and examination type.

Exhibits should be marked and referenced in the transcript; a separate exhibit index may be included.

The transcript must be bound securely; electronic transcripts must be in a searchable PDF format with bookmarks for each witness and exhibit.

Certification must be on a separate page or at the end of the transcript; the reporter's signature must be notarized if required by the court.

Errors in the transcript may be corrected by an errata sheet; the reporter must file a corrected certification if substantive changes are made.

Use the serial comma (Oxford comma) in lists of three or more items to avoid ambiguity, unless the court style guide dictates otherwise.

Punctuation goes inside quotation marks in American English; however, when transcribing, place punctuation according to the speaker's inflection and standard grammar.

Use em dashes (-) without spaces for interruptions; ellipses (...) for trailing off or pauses, with a space before and after if in the middle of a sentence.

Capitalize proper nouns, titles before names (e.g., 'Judge Smith'), and the first word of a quoted sentence; do not capitalize after a colon unless it introduces a complete sentence.

Proofread for homophones (e.g., 'their/there/they're', 'to/too/two') and legal terms (e.g., 'liable/libel', 'principal/principle').

Numbers: spell out one through nine, use numerals for 10 and above, except in legal citations and monetary amounts (e.g., '$5,000').

Use '[sic]' to indicate an error in the original spoken word, but only if necessary to preserve the record; do not use it to mock a speaker.

Subject-verb agreement and verb tense must be preserved as spoken; do not correct grammar in a verbatim transcript unless the speaker corrects themselves.

Georgia court structure: Magistrate, Probate, Juvenile, State, Superior, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court; Superior Courts have general jurisdiction over felonies and civil cases.

Common legal terms: 'arraignment' (initial appearance), 'discovery' (pre-trial exchange of evidence), 'voir dire' (jury selection), 'allocution' (defendant's statement before sentencing).

Objection grounds: 'hearsay', 'relevance', 'leading', 'speculation', 'foundation', 'privilege'; the judge rules 'sustained' (objection upheld) or 'overruled' (objection denied).

Civil procedure: 'complaint', 'answer', 'summary judgment', 'interrogatories', 'deposition'; criminal: 'indictment', 'information', 'plea bargain', 'nolo contendere'.

Georgia is in the Eleventh Circuit; federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle, or Southern District of Georgia.

Appeals: notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days of judgment in civil cases; in criminal cases, 30 days from sentencing or order on motion for new trial.

The record on appeal consists of the transcript and clerk's record; the reporter must certify and file the transcript with the clerk within the time ordered by the court.

Jury instructions are governed by O.C.G.A. § 5-5-24; the court must charge the jury on the law applicable to the case, and the charge is part of the record.

Court reporters must be impartial and may not give legal advice or alter the record to favor any party.

Confidentiality: reporters must not disclose information from sealed or private proceedings; unauthorized disclosure may result in license revocation.

Georgia requires court reporters to be licensed by the Board of Court Reporting; unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor.

Reporters must avoid conflicts of interest; they may not report a proceeding in which they have a personal or financial interest.

Ethical obligations include maintaining competence, ensuring accuracy, and promptly producing transcripts; negligence may lead to disciplinary action.

Reporters may not accept gifts or favors that could influence their work; all fees must be disclosed and reasonable.

If a reporter discovers an error in a certified transcript, they must notify the court and parties and file a corrected transcript.

Professional conduct: maintain decorum, dress appropriately, and avoid personal conversations during proceedings; the reporter is an officer of the court.

Georgia courts: Appellate (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals), Superior Courts (184), State Courts, Juvenile Courts, Probate Courts, Magistrate Courts, and Municipal Courts.

The Supreme Court of Georgia has 7 justices; the Court of Appeals has 15 judges and sits in panels of 3.

Court reporters are governed by the Georgia Board of Court Reporting under O.C.G.A. Title 15, Chapter 14; rules are in Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 100-1 et seq.

Recordkeeping: reporters must retain stenographic notes and transcripts for at least 5 years, or longer if required by court order or statute.

Transcripts must be filed with the clerk of the court; the reporter must keep a copy and provide it upon request to parties who have paid the required fee.

The Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70) applies to court records, but sealed records and grand jury proceedings are exempt.

Court reporters may be appointed by the judge or elected in some circuits; they serve at the pleasure of the court and must take an oath of office.

Fees for transcripts are set by statute (O.C.G.A. § 15-14-5) and may be adjusted by the court; reporters must provide a fee estimate upon request.