More information on my paid-employment...I am paid by the state to take down the official record of court proceedings. Basically, if there is court going on in the main courtroom, I am in there making a record. Making a record means that I'm reporting in machine shorthand on my shorthand machine every single word that is said during a court proceeding.
Yes, I do take every word. If they cuss, I put that down. If they say something unbelievable to ridiculous, I take it down word-for-word. If they say the wrong word, I write down whatever wrong word they said. For instance, I had an elderly man a few months ago in court getting an uncontested dissolution (aka divorce). When asked if he had all of his belongings in his possession, he responded, "Yes, I have my baloney, and she has all of her baloney." It was one of those moments where my poker face was on high alert.
If there are exhibits used in a hearing or trial, then I put the exhibit sticker on it, write the exhibit number, my initials and the date on that sticker. If someone wants to hear an answer again or if there is an objection and the question needs repeated, I will be asked to read back that answer or question. That's when I take a deep breath and go for it. I love doing that though...because it proves to them that I really am getting everything down!
Because we're in a very small county, I also serve as the judge's secretary. I answer our phone, type letters, deal with office supplies and claims, make docket entries and schedule court hearings. The docket entries were new to me when I started in my local county. After court, I bring the court files to my desk and I make the docket entries in the computer system capturing, in summary, what happened during the court hearing. It helps the judge, and others, remember what happened when they look at that file later on. That took some getting used to, but I think, finally, after two years, I'm catching on. I do all kinds of different stuff for the judge, but it's not constant.
There is also an associate judge that holds court in our courthouse, and although I do a few things for him, he doesn't overload me with work either. For the most part, I don't do much in his courtroom. Every now and then there will be a special hearing over there, and I'll go cover it, but only if there isn't court in the main courtroom.
Every courthouse and judge's office runs a little different, but since we're a one-horse town (as I call it), it's the judge and I for the most part. Some courthouses have trial court administrators and the judges have secretaries, so the reporters just do their own thing. Depending on who you talk to, if I mention that I schedule court, another court reporter would think that is unheard of...in fact, I used to, but I kind of like it because I can, to an extent, control what days are heavier than another.
Most of what I report in court is never seen again, but a small fraction of those hearings will be transcribed and put into a booklet form that we sell, for lack of a better word. If an attorney or party calls and requests a transcript, I will put that hearing up and see how many pages it will be and then I'll let them know an approximate cost of the transcript preparation. We get to charge per page, so it can be very lucrative. It is considered self-employmentand I get to keep all of it, although I have to keep track and pay taxes on it. Still, it is a pretty good gig. And I'm fortunate enough that I can usually get all of my transcript work done at work and I do not have to bring it home...although there was a time when it seemed like I was always working on work at home. Not any more...it is not worth it. It gets done when I get it done, and I usually don't have trouble with that.
Stay tuned for more very interesting tidbits about my paid employment...haha...I bet you're on the edge of your seat, aren't ya?
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