Courtroom and Deposition Procedures
Domain 2 tests how a reporter functions in live court and deposition settings: administering oaths, marking exhibits, handling objections, protecting the record, and managing deposition logistics. The exam expects procedural judgment: what belongs on the record, what the reporter must record verbatim, and what the reporter must not decide.
Courtroom fundamentals
- Administer the oath before testimony; record the oath and the witness's name and capacity.
- Record objections and rulings verbatim; never summarize them as 'objection noted.'
- When the judge says 'strike that,' record the motion, ruling, and any instruction to disregard; do not delete the answer.
- Bench and sidebar conferences go on the record only when the judge directs; otherwise note '(Bench conference not reported.)' if that is the court's practice.
- Mark exhibits with the court's numbering; record the marking, offer, objection, and ruling.
- Do not rule on objections, interpret evidence, or prompt witnesses.
Depositions
- Under HRCP Rule 30, the officer administers the oath, records the examination, and certifies the transcript.
- Objections are stated concisely for the record; the reporter records them but does not rule.
- The witness may review the transcript under Rule 30(e); errata changes are appended, not silently rewritten.
- The reporter certifies the deposition under Rule 30(f) and follows confidentiality or protective orders.
- Remote depositions require confirming participants, exhibit transmission, and record continuity.
Worked example
Question: 'You saw the defendant run the red light, didn't you?' Counsel: 'Objection, leading.' Ruling: 'Sustained. Strike the answer.' The witness had already answered. The reporter records the question, objection, ruling, and answer, and adds a parenthetical if the answer is ordered stricken. The reporter does not delete the answer because the appellate court may need to review the ruling.
Traps
- Omitting the oath or the witness's capacity.
- Recording 'several objections' instead of the exact words.
- Going off record without the judge's or stipulating counsel's permission.
- Losing exhibit numbers across a multi-day deposition.
- Treating a private 'off the record' request as effective when no one stipulated.