For every Texas CSR who signs up for one of our seminars, Realtime Ready will donate $10 to the TCRA fund
to make sure that in Texas, the legal record may NOT be taken by non-stenographic means. This is a very important
time to stand together and make sure our profession and our future are secure.
If you would like to make a donation to TCRA, please use the form below: TCRA-Donation-Form.pdf
Below is a letter from Jo Ann
Leger, TCRA President:
Dear Court
Reporters:
As the
current President of TCRA, I am sending this letter to all Texas Certified Shorthand Reporters to alert you to
a request that has been made for an Attorney General opinion, and it could dramatically affect every court
reporter in this state. The request:
Can an oral
deposition meant for use in litigation in the courts of this state be recorded solely by non-stenographic
means?
The request specifically asks whether it is a violation to use non-stenographic means in the above instance
when Government Code § 52.021(f) requires that an oral deposition be recorded by a certified shorthand
reporter. You may read the entire request at www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/rq/2011/pdf/RQ0993GA.pdf
One of the primary questions is
whether or not 52.021(f) is procedural or substantive. If procedural, it is subject to being repealed by
a Supreme Court rule of procedure; but if it is substantive in nature, it is not. What does this
mean? If Government Code 52.021(f)
is repealed, then Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 199.1, permitting depositions recorded by
non-stenographic means, would supersede.
The Texas Court Reporters Association
has hired Riggs Aleshire & Ray, a law firm in Austin that is very experienced in dealing with the Attorney
General’s Office, to file a brief that would support TCRA’s position that the Texas Legislature, through
Government Code Chapter 52, has established a substantive statutory system for regulating who can take
depositions for use in litigation in this state.
We are well aware of national and
state issues at this very moment, and TCRA is here to protect the stenographic court reporters of
Texas. However, a lost opportunity to protect your job can have dire consequences, so do
theWRITEthing! Make out a check to TCRA and send it intoday!
I want to thank you for taking the time to
read this letter and ask that you please contact TCRA with any questions you may have. If you are not
currently a member of TCRA, I ask you to join today and support our profession.
Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association Annual Convention, April 13, 2012
I'm honored to be a speaker at the PCRA convention at Seven Springs Mountain
Resort. I'll be doing a condensed version of "Technology Show 'N Tell" and
also my"Food Show 'N Tell"
presentation. Thanks for having me!
Error Message - Haven't You Thought This Exact Same Thing?
Custom
Error Message For Court Systems Trying to Save Money by Not Using a Real Court Reporter - Good Luck with
THAT!
Custom Error Message I Created Just For My Court Reporting Friends
Mike Miller Gets Behind Wireless Realtime
I
arrived at a convention yesterday just in time to catch the tail end of Mike Miller's technology
presentation. He was explaining how it just doesn't make a great first impression when the first thing the
attorneys see is his butt up in the air as he's taping cables to the floor under the conference
table. As a visual learner, this certainly got the point across! In fact, I'm still trying to get
rid of this visual. ;)
Yes, it is hard to look like a polished professional, no matter how nice your outfit or how
expensive your gear, when you're down on all fours under a table, especially for the ladies.
Bottom line, go wireless!
NCRA
Realtime Contest Winner on TV!
Check out Dee Boenau on "Daytime," a show she captions every day. They took time out to recognize
and honor her for winning the 2010 NCRA realtime competition. Dee did an amazing job talking about court reporting
and technology, and she even managed to slip in a comment about why electronic recording will never work.
Congratulations, Dee. You are truly an inspiration!
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