Court Reporting and Transcription Procedures
What the exam tests
This domain checks whether you can capture a verbatim record, manage the mechanics of a proceeding, and produce a certified transcript that another reader can use without hearing the audio. Expect questions on oaths, exhibit handling, off-record events, speaker identification, transcript format, and certification/errata.
Core rules
- Administer the oath or affirmation before testimony; record the exact words, the witness's response, and the date and time. A deposition officer must be impartial and may not be financially interested in the case.
- Record everything spoken on the record, including objections, rulings, stipulations, and sidebars held on the record. Do not summarize, paraphrase, or "clean up" testimony.
- Identify speakers on first use ("THE WITNESS," "MR. SMITH") and use parentheticals for non-verbal events: "(Exhibit 12 marked for identification.)" "(Off record at 2:14 p.m.)"
- Mark exhibits with consecutive numbers or letters and record the marking, sponsoring witness, and any objection. Never write on an exhibit unless the court directs it.
- In depositions, follow the officer's duties under the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure: swear the deponent, record testimony, and certify the transcript. If the deponent requests review under the rule, issue an errata sheet for changes with reasons.
- Produce transcripts with numbered lines (commonly 25 lines per page), consistent margins, page numbers, and a certification block. File sealed or confidential transcripts according to the court's order.
Worked example
An attorney says, "Let's go off the record," then states a settlement figure. You stop recording and note the time. If the attorneys later say, "Back on the record," note that time and resume. Do not record the settlement discussion unless all parties stipulate to do so; do not include it in the transcript. If a dispute arises later, your note and the off-record parentheticals are the record of what happened.
Traps
Omitting objections or bench conferences; guessing at an indistinct name instead of using "(phonetic)" or "inaudible"; altering grammar in a certified transcript; and failing to certify or to attach an errata sheet.