MO Court Reporter case studies

MO Court Reporter · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Missouri Certified Court Reporter credential is a state-level certification for verbatim reporters who produce transcripts of depositions, hearings, and trials in Missouri courts. It signals to judges, attorneys, and litigants that a reporter can capture proceedings at speed and convert them into an accurate, properly formatted record. The MO Court Reporter case studies are 5 cases and about 3,546 words.

The Novelist’s Dialect and the Cleanup Request

During a copyright infringement deposition in federal court, the plaintiff-a novelist-reads a 212-word passage from her unpublished manuscript into the record. She reads at about 140 words per minute, includes the dialect line “I ain’t never been so all-fired sure,” pronounces a character’s name as “Xochitl,” and says aloud “quote, unquote” before a line of dialogue.

745 words, about 4 min 2

The Jury Charge Correction and the Written Exhibit

On the fourth day of a personal-injury trial, the judge reads a 38-page jury charge at about 172 words per minute. At page 22, she says, “Strike the sentence beginning ‘The plaintiff must prove’; replace it with ‘The plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s conduct was a substantial factor.’” She then says, “I’m not going to read the last two paragraphs; they are in the written charge.” After the jury retires, defense counsel objects that the oral and written charges differ and asks you to “conform the transcript to the written charge, since that’s what the jury will have.” The written charge was marked as Court’s Exhibit 3 and given to the jury.

741 words, about 4 min 3

The Interpreter, the Stricken Answer, and the Rush Draft

In an employment discrimination hearing, the witness testifies in Spanish through a certified interpreter. After the hearing, the winning party’s attorney asks you for a “rough, unproofread draft tonight” so he can prepare a brief, and says he will pay a rush fee.

694 words, about 3 min 4

Proofreading the Bench-Trial Transcript

Before certifying a 63-page transcript of a civil bench trial, you proofread this excerpt: 1. “THE COURT: counsel, your client stated that he had went to the store on Tuesday, and that he seen the defendant.” 2.

680 words, about 3 min 5

The Sealed Sidebar, the Subpoena, and the Notarized Certificate

You are the official court reporter for a six-week criminal trial. On day 12, the judge holds a 14-minute bench conference, then says, “This sidebar is sealed; do not transcribe it.” Later that day, defense counsel asks you for an “advance, uncertified copy” of the sealed sidebar because his expert is “not admitted yet” and needs it before a 9 a.m.

686 words, about 3 min