Forty Years and Forty Days

The court reporters, like the judges and the attorneys, are officers of the court. However, the court reporter is neutral and has no opinion. His job involves making a verbatim transcript of the court trials for the benefit of the court, lawyers, and litigants. The record verifies what was said - its correctness as spoken. 

Court reporters, judges and lawyers keep up-to-date in their professions through attending seminars. Lawyers, especially those who specialize in one part of the law need to know about new laws. Judges and court reporters do so because their professions, too, are constantly changing,

Court reporters, in Minnesota, received their benefits and salaries directly from  laws passed by a state legislature. Reporters involve a very small segment of the residents of the state. Though the court reporters hired lobbyists, they were overlooked, ignored or their bills were lost in the busy legislative sessions. Most legislators know little about the the training necessary, or the profession, itself. Recently, Minnesota court reporters joined the Teamster’s union, hoping they could be heard when there was a need. Since most reporters in this country live by the same rules, of getting their raises and benefits from the state legislature, they also felt the need for stronger representation.

The only bosses court reporters had were the judges, who wanted to accommodate and please the attorneys causing overtime and some evening and weekend work. If an attorney wanted to finish the case because he was expected some place else the next day, who’s to say, no, to the boss who appointed you? The result was an over-worked court reporter.

Our rural district carried on with the older ways, meaning that I took a vacation when my judge decided to take one. If I wanted a vacation when the judge didn’t, I paid for a freelance replacement. There was little opportunity to exchange services with a court reporter assigned to another judge in the district. My judge was a kind and considerate man, but didn’t take vacations. It was difficult to become sick over night and find a replacement. A few times, a trial had to continue to another day because I was sick.

If a court reporter had a short day, and left his office, he didn’t go home, tell the judge or court administrator where he’s going because often the reporter would be called back to work - those days, however, are gone, Though court reporters already had to be available whenever juries deliberated. If you lived a  longer distance from the courthouse  than the judge, would the judge, the jury, and the bailiffs patiently wait for you? No. Whenever the jury was ready, the reporter was available. Depending on the case, the reporter stayed near a telephone, ready to return to the courthouse.