ID Court Reporter key terms

A chorded keyboard device a court reporter uses to record spoken proceedings, pressing multiple keys at once to produce phonetically based coded strokes that a computer translates into text.

The immediate conversion of a reporter's stenographic strokes into readable text on screens during a proceeding, used for judges, attorneys, or hearing-impaired participants who need instant access.

A live text stream delivered to a viewer's device or monitor as testimony is spoken, typically requiring a writer with high translation accuracy and a prepared dictionary of names and terms.

The post-proceeding process of editing a rough stenographic translation for punctuation, spelling, speaker identification, and formatting so the transcript reads accurately and complies with required transcript conventions.

A transcript a court reporter signs and certifies as a true and accurate record of the proceedings, often accompanied by a certificate page stating the reporter's qualifications and the manner of recording.

The written record of sworn out-of-court testimony, prepared by a court reporter, usually including the caption, appearances, index of exhibits, examination questions and answers, and the officer's certificate.

A signed statement by the court reporter or deposition officer attesting that the transcript is a true record, identifying how testimony was recorded and affirming compliance with applicable statutes or rules.

A document, object, or other item marked for identification and offered or admitted as evidence, whose marking, description, and any related testimony the reporter must capture in the record.

A statement by the presiding officer that temporarily suspends the taking of the official record, so the reporter stops recording until the proceeding is placed back on the record.

The status of proceedings being officially recorded by the court reporter, meaning everything said is preserved as part of the formal transcript unless the judge or officer directs otherwise.

A private bench conference between the judge and attorneys, outside the jury's hearing, which may be reported if the judge directs or may be held off the record by agreement.

A temporary pause in a proceeding ordered by the judge, during which the reporter may remain available to record any matters the court states on the record before or after the break.

A request by the reporter asking a speaker to slow down, repeat, or speak more clearly so the record is complete and accurate, often phrased politely and placed on the record.

A person who orally renders testimony or statements from one language into another, whose words the reporter records as spoken, often identifying the interpreter's role at the start of the proceeding.

The heading of a court document or transcript showing the court, parties' names, case number, and title of the action, which the reporter formats consistently in every transcript.

A statement at the start of a proceeding identifying which attorneys, parties, and others are present and for whom they appear, recorded by the reporter as part of the transcript's opening.

Careful review of a transcript for errors in spelling, punctuation, word usage, and formatting before certification, distinct from the earlier scoping stage of editing the rough translation.

The questioning of prospective jurors to determine their qualifications and impartiality, a proceeding the reporter must record along with challenges, rulings, and the jury's swearing.

A criminal hearing at which the defendant is formally informed of the charges and enters a plea, typically including the reading of the charging document and advisement of rights.

A formal criminal charging document filed by a prosecutor accusing a defendant of an offense, as distinguished from an indictment returned by a grand jury.

A formal criminal charge issued by a grand jury after finding probable cause that a person committed an offense, distinct from a prosecutor-filed information.

A defendant's formal response to a criminal charge, such as guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere, which the reporter records verbatim along with the court's acceptance or rejection.

The opportunity for a convicted defendant to address the court before sentencing, often to express remorse or offer explanation, and the reporter records those statements in the record.

The hearing at which the court imposes punishment on a convicted defendant, including findings, statutory references, and the pronouncement of the sentence, all of which must be recorded accurately.

A request to remove a prospective juror for a legally recognized reason such as bias or inability to be fair, which the judge rules on and the reporter records during jury selection.

A limited right of a party to excuse a prospective juror without stating a reason, subject to constitutional limits, with the number and exercise of such challenges recorded by the reporter.

A judge's ruling agreeing with an objection and disallowing the question or answer, a single word the reporter must capture exactly along with any following colloquy.

A judge's ruling rejecting an objection and permitting the question or answer to stand, recorded by the reporter as part of the trial record along with the objection itself.

A party's statement placing on the record a legal reason to exclude a question, answer, or exhibit, which the reporter records verbatim before the court's ruling.

An agreement between parties about a fact or procedure, often read into the record or reduced to writing, which the reporter captures as stated so it becomes part of the official record.

The grammatical rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, a frequent transcription error source when speakers use complex or interrupted sentence structures.

A word that sounds the same as another but differs in meaning or spelling, such as 'their' and 'there,' requiring careful verification during scoping and proofreading of transcripts.

The marks used to clarify sentence structure and meaning in a transcript, applied according to standard style rules so spoken testimony reads clearly without altering the speaker's words.

Recording testimony word for word as spoken, including repetitions and false starts, without editing substance, while applying standard conventions for punctuation and unspoken sounds.

The ethical duty to keep information learned during reporting from unauthorized disclosure, including sealed proceedings, grand jury matters, and private communications not part of the record.

A situation in which a reporter's personal or financial interests could improperly influence professional judgment, requiring disclosure or withdrawal from the assignment to preserve impartiality.

A communication with the judge by one party or its representative without the other parties present, which a reporter should not facilitate and may be required to report.

Court records or transcript portions ordered closed to public inspection by the court, which the reporter must handle and distribute only as the order permits.

The general right of the public and press to attend proceedings and inspect court records, subject to limits such as sealing orders, juvenile matters, and protective orders.

The state court structure of Idaho, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district courts, and magistrate division, within which reporters serve and whose rules govern proceedings.

The division of Idaho's district courts in which magistrates hear certain civil, criminal, juvenile, probate, and traffic matters, as provided by statute and court rules.

The procedural rules governing civil actions in Idaho courts, including rules on discovery, depositions, and the form and filing of documents that reporters must understand when producing transcripts.