KS Court Reporter flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Jury charge transcription

The formal reading of instructions to the jury, recorded verbatim without speaker labels; the reporter must capture statutory citations and exact legal phrasing because appellate review may turn on the precise language given.

Q. and A. format

The transcript layout for testimony in which each question begins with 'Q.' and each answer with 'A.', with a new paragraph for each speaker; colloquy among counsel is styled by speaker name instead.

Parenthetical in transcript

A bracketed or parenthetical notation such as (Indicating) or (Laughing) that records nonverbal conduct or events at the point they occur, preserving meaning that words alone do not convey.

Conflict-free dictionary

A stenographic translation dictionary in which each stroke or brief maps to a single intended word or phrase, preventing homophone errors such as 'statute' being miswritten as 'statue'.

Indiscernible notation

A parenthetical used only when a passage cannot be clarified on the record; preferred practice is to ask the speaker to repeat before resorting to the notation.

Kentucky Supreme Court

Kentucky's court of last resort, composed of seven justices elected from seven appellate districts; the justices choose the Chief Justice, who heads the judicial branch.

Kentucky Court of Appeals

The intermediate appellate court, with fourteen judges elected from seven appellate districts sitting in panels of three; review is generally as a matter of right.

Circuit Court jurisdiction

Kentucky's general-jurisdiction trial court, hearing felonies, civil actions, and domestic relations matters; there are 57 circuits, some with family court divisions.

District Court jurisdiction

Kentucky's limited-jurisdiction court, handling misdemeanors, small claims up to $2,500, juvenile matters, traffic, and preliminary felony hearings across 60 districts.

Administrative Office of the Courts

The AOC supports the Kentucky Court of Justice, including court reporting, interpreter services, records management, and the retention schedule governing official transcripts and notes.

Reporter impartiality duty

The ethical obligation to record proceedings accurately regardless of which party benefits; reporters may not alter, omit, or summarize testimony to favor any party or outcome.

Grand jury confidentiality

Grand jury proceedings and related records are confidential; a reporter may not disclose their content absent a court order authorizing release.

Personal certification

The reporter's signed statement that the transcript is true and correct; a reporter may not certify another person's work without independently verifying it against the record.

Off-the-record instruction

A judge's direction that a portion of the proceeding not be recorded; if the instruction is unclear, the reporter asks on the record whether recording continues.

Conflict of interest disclosure

A reporter related to a party, counsel, or witness, or financially interested in the outcome, must disclose the relationship so the court can decide on reassignment.

Certification page

The page bearing the reporter's name, the case caption, the date, and a statement that the foregoing is a true and correct transcript, followed by the reporter's signature.

Transcript title page

The first page identifying the court, county, case number, parties, and date, followed by an appearance page listing counsel and an index of witnesses and exhibits.

Exhibit marking notation

The transcript entry identifying an exhibit by number or letter and noting whether the court admitted or rejected it, preserving the exhibit record for appeal.

Records retention schedule

The AOC-set schedule governing how long official reporters' notes, audio, and transcripts are kept; notes may not be destroyed without authorization under the schedule.

Errata sheet

A deponent's written corrections in form or substance made within the allowed review period; the reporter attaches it to the original transcript.

Subpoena duces tecum

A subpoena commanding a person to produce documents or tangible evidence at a deposition or hearing, in addition to appearing to testify.

Nunc pro tunc

Latin for 'now for then'; an order entered retroactively to correct the record as of an earlier date, often used to fix clerical errors in judgments.

Voir dire

The examination of prospective jurors to determine qualifications, bias, and suitability to serve; the term is Law French and is transcribed as spoken.

Radiculopathy

A medical term for nerve-root pain or dysfunction, often radiating from the spine into an arm or leg; accurate spelling matters because it describes a specific diagnosis.

Em dash in testimony

A punctuation mark used to show that a speaker was interrupted mid-sentence, distinguishing interruption from trailing off, which is shown with an ellipsis.

Deposition officer

Under CR 28.01, the disinterested person who administers the oath and presides over a deposition; the court reporter may serve as officer absent objection.

Deposition objection practice

Under CR 30.03, counsel states objections concisely for the record and examination continues, except when the objection asserts a privilege.

Interrogatories

Written questions served under CR 33 that a party must answer in writing under oath within the response time set by the rules.

Request for production

A discovery device under CR 34 by which a party asks another to produce documents, electronically stored information, or tangible things for inspection and copying.

KRE 615 witness exclusion

At a party's request, the court orders witnesses excluded so they cannot hear other testimony; the rule does not authorize excluding a party or a designated officer.

KRE 802 hearsay rule

An out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted is inadmissible unless an exception in KRE 803, 804, or 807 applies.

KRE 103 preservation

Error may not be predicated on a ruling unless a timely objection or motion to strike appears of record stating the specific ground, if not apparent from context.