Dale Mercer
When most people get a jury duty notice in the mail, they rarely get chosen to sit on an actual jury. I was chosen twice within the span of four years. The first case was a one-day personal injury case, and the second was a three-week murder case. Perhaps I was chosen because of my knowledge in anatomy and experience working with injured clients as a licensed massage and neuromuscular therapist. Maybe I was just the right demographic at the right time. Whatever the reason, I found everything about each proceeding fascinating and left having an entirely new respect for the court reporter.
I witnessed firsthand just how vital your work is and have the highest respect for what you do as guardians of the record. Your transcript deserves to be looked over with a final set of detail-oriented eyes that care about accountability and readability as much as you do.
Client references upon request.
What I correct
FormatMisspellingsIncorrect wordsIncorrect names and datesConsistent use of terminology and styleGeneric vs. brand name drugs/productsContext (indicate phrases that read awkward)Numbers (correct expression)Missing or transposed wordsSpacing issuesPunctuationReadability
Reference Materials
Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters
Margie Wakeman Wells’ Bad Grammar / Good Punctuation
The Gregg Reference Manual
Merriam-Webster
Barron’s Dictionary of Legal Terms
And client preferences, of course!