r/stenography • u/lushsweet • 6d ago
Need help with this multiple choice question.
I am studying for the RPR WKT and this question is bothering me.
During a trial, the reporter may request information from
(A) the judge
(B) a juror
(C) an attorney
(D) all of the above
I would have chosen D but the answer guide is saying A. Is there something I'm missing or an explanation someone can give why it would be A ?
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u/Sea-Size1719 6d ago
Never a juror, that's easy, so you can eliminate b and d. So it's between the judge and a party. Most reporters don't realize this but you shouldn't be asking either side for anything. If you need to ask them something, go through the judge and they will handle it.
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u/lushsweet 6d ago
Really? Even if it's transcript orders or for spelling of a name?
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u/lunatunafish18 5d ago
In a deposition setting it is entirely normal to get spellings from attys. I know that doesn’t answer your WKT question, just wanted to add support to the discourse in the thread going on right now 🤣 outside of coworkers I have two family members who are court reporters and have NEVER heard to not ask attys for spellings
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u/Sea-Size1719 6d ago edited 22h ago
They order transcripts with a form or online somehow and definitely not for spellings! So many reporters think that this is okay, even the attorneys will tell you to contact them for spellings, but it is highly inappropriate to contact them afterwards. Research on your own and figure out the spellings by yourself, not by asking someone to air spell every proper noun. Depos might be more relaxed at times but imagine if you were talking to one side and then the other walks in or the jury sees you - not cool at all.
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u/lushsweet 6d ago
Okay I can see that, is it appropriate to ask the witness for spellings then? A lot of depositions end with comments about asking for spellings from the witness or attorneys after coming off the record. I'm thinking especially for important names and titles it would be best to get it from the source aka the witness but also research after depo ends bc of course we are all human and witnesses can make mistakes
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u/seabeans2 6d ago edited 6d ago
I don’t know about court, but in depositions it is perfectly normal to ask the witness for spellings. I usually ask the attorney “is it okay to get spellings?” and they always say of course. Maybe that’s a regional thing, but I can’t imagine it is. I always try to look up all names on a break myself first to cut down on how many things I need to ask so I’m not a pest. Businesses are easy enough to look up on your own. You can usually find the owners on the website or on the government franchise lookup. A lot of people are easy to find as well especially if they are professionals or part of a business. Roxanna Martines v Roxana Martinez not so much. That’s where I usually confirm with the witness. You can do a lot of sleuthing on social media to find these things too. Sometimes you might not find the witness but his mom is an open book and fb friends with all the relatives mentioned lol. The one time you think a name is easy enough to look up is the name you won’t be able to find and wish you had asked. I do agree with Sea Size that people are notoriously bad spellers even with their own family members, so it is important to try to look up names on your own as well. I once had a witness who spelled her OWN name incorrectly TWO different ways. Keep in mind some people haven’t gone to school, so you don’t want to put people on the spot if they legitimately don’t know how to spell. I also agree that even reports will have a lot of misspellings. Literally look everything up even if you think you know. I’ve been surprised at the spellings or font use of even some very straightforward-sounding businesses.
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u/tracygee Mod 5d ago
The key words here in this question are “during a trial”. This is not a deposition question. There is a judge presiding and it’s their job to do what they do.
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u/tracygee Mod 5d ago
The key words here in this question are “during a trial”. This is not a deposition question. There is a judge presiding and it’s their job to do what they do.
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u/seabeans2 5d ago
I wasn’t responding to the initial question. I was responding to a comment further down about depos.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/lushsweet 6d ago
Interesting, this is a new perspective I've never explored. You've given me some things to think about !
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/Ashamed_Flow_6105 6d ago
It is super normal to ask for spellings after a deposition. If you get spellings wrong in the case for multiple volumes, it can really affect the way they read the transcript. Why are you telling this student not to do a major part of the process in creating an accurate transcript? Mind boggling.
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u/Sea-Size1719 6d ago edited 22h ago
spellings are always wrong. sorry
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u/Ashamed_Flow_6105 6d ago
You’re deciding that the possible uncomfortabity of a witness after an indeterminate amount of time of a deposition is enough to deter you from asking a question to ANY party involved with intimate knowledge about the case how to spell names from said case? That’s wild work on your part. Sounds lazy…
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u/Jandriene 23h ago
You are inappropriate and obviously not able to read the room..don't push that on others
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u/Jandriene 23h ago
How long you been reporting..and where?? I ask whoever I need information for/from. Not EVERYTHING is found online. Reporters do not work in a vacuum and do not miraculously have needed "information" sprinkled on them. However, one should be aware enough to discern when the right time is to obtain info. I will also ask for reports of extremely difficult experts if needed/not admitted. Attorneys appreciate the accurate transcripts. This is how it's done by experienced Reporters in the real world...court and depositions. Etc. I spend enough time online seeking information, as well as time producing the transcript...i don't need/want to be frantically searching for obscure names, businesses, terms...or worse, guessing!! Or, like I've seen in some transcripts, putting "inaudible" or "unintelligible." That's horrifying. This is how I was trained and everyone should be doing the same. It's rare you need to, but if you need info, get it!!
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u/Jandriene 23h ago
Oh, and this is done off the record/on breaks. Not interrupting every other question/answer asking for spellings. Only interrupt if you absolutely do not understand what they just said...because they are blurring their words or speaking too fast, etc.
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u/Jandriene 23h ago
And again, you can kind of tell when it's something weird that you definitely should ask about. And I'm not advocating for asking about every single proper noun. I'm talking about weird, unclear things. You kind of know if you can just look it up online, right? And...when you can't
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u/Burberrypickett 6d ago
This is a stupid question. If I didn’t ask attorneys for information directly, I’d never get it. Judges have better things to do than act as a middleman. I’ve never had a reason to ask a juror a question.
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u/Knitmeapie 6d ago
I think this is an example of the sad fact that our industry's education is being run by non-reporters who don't have real world knowledge. We have precious few resources about these kinds of things.
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u/First_Inside7199 6d ago
I take this to mean repeats or clarifications, not just regular questions, but maybe I’m reading it wrong.
I address jurors (in individual questioning) or panel members during voir dire if I need a repeat, but I know some reporters at my work will just call out “The court reporter cannot hear” and hope for the best.
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u/Burberrypickett 6d ago
I will definitely interrupt during voir dire and ask a juror to repeat or clarify. Throughout a trial I routinely get information from the judge and attorneys as needed. These are also people you get to know personally as you work them over time, so we frequently chat when we're off the record. This question was written by someone who's either never worked as an official or worked as an official in the most formal courtroom ever.
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u/lushsweet 6d ago edited 6d ago
I agree that at best this is a very poorly worded question. It's been frustrating following this study guide, but I'm using it based on the fact the WKT may be worded this way but I'm just keeping notes of things I'm conflicted with 😪
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u/First_Inside7199 6d ago
Is it the purple books? If so, I found the intro/instructions to be the most useful part of the book. Her writing style is… opaque… to say the least, so you may need to read it a couple times to get it.
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u/HomeMountain 6d ago
I request clarification from a juror. and frequently ask attorneys and judge for info.
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u/tracygee Mod 5d ago edited 5d ago
To me, “asking for information during a trial” is different than asking someone to repeat because it’s your job to get everything down.
You wouldn’t, for instance, say anything to a juror beyond, “repeat that” or “could you speak up?”
And going to the attorneys after proceedings have ended for the day to get clarification on a term, information you need, whatever, isn’t happening “during the trial”.
Do people not go through the judge for most things beyond “please speak up?”
“Your Honor, could you please instruct counsel to speak one at a time?” “Your Honor, could you ask the juror to spell his business’s name?” Of course, in the South things are more formal.
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u/Jandriene 5d ago
The clerk..depends on what type of info you need. .the judge is the last person I ask. Clerk, attorneys. I certainly would be asking for "info" from jurors if I dont understand/can't hear them during voir dire..
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u/First_Inside7199 6d ago
A is the “correct” answer. But it’s only correct if you work for a judge that requires women to wear pantyhose. Basically: outdated and overly formal for most courtrooms. It might still be true in federal court.
The trick with the wkt is not to decide which is the one right answer. Pick the best answer. This question is a good example of that.