LEE1 - Legal Phoenix KY Style Guide

Legal Phoenix | KY
Contents
Introduction 2
Research, Research, Research 2
Non-Germane Speech 3
Inserts 3
Colloquy 4
Speaker IDs 4
Swearing-In of the Witness 4
Q&A 5
Order of Examinations 5
Examination Headings and By Lines 6
Interruptions in Q&A 7
Interpreters/Translators 8
Swearing in the Interpreter 8
Examination through Interpreter 8
Voir Dire 9
Exhibits 10
Certified Questions and Objections 13
Marking Confidential Discussions 14
Reading or Playing Back the Record 15
Audio or Video Recordings Played 16
No Response 17
Taking a Break 18
Ending a Transcript 19
Style Guidelines 20
Redactions 20
Strike That 21
Contractions and Slang 22
Feedback, Crutch, Filler, Partial Words, and Stutters 22
Nonverbal Responses 22
Numbers 23
Exceptions 23
Dates 24
Time 24
Spelling, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Capitalization 25
Emails and Web Addresses 27
Punctuation Rules 27
Spoken Punctuation 29
False Starts and Repeated Words 29
Interruptions 30
Long Paragraphs 31
Case Citations 31
Tags 32
Revisions 36
Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 1 of 36

Legal Phoenix | KY
Introduction
In any legal proceeding, it's necessary to establish a written record. All events and decisions must be preserved
for future reference. Thus, transcriptions of these proceedings must be clear, consistent, and as accurate as
humanly possible. Proceedings commonly transcribed in the legal space include: a deposition of a witness to
gather information for a trial, a hearing in front of a judge, a meeting of a regulatory panel, or days of trial in a
courtroom.
KY files mainly feature depositions and hearings and trials.
Legal transcription is done in either Colloquy (Conversation) or Q&A (Questions & Answers) style. As a general
rule, Q&A is only needed when a witness is sworn in and examined under oath, such as in a deposition or in
front of a judge or other officer of the court.
Research, Research, Research

One of the most important steps in transcribing a file is researching to guarantee correct spelling of names,
locations, and other details. Factual accuracy is vital in legal transcripts.
Clients often include supplemental documentation for a file, such as a list of exhibits or the appearances of
lawyers present. They are available on the right sidebar of the WorkHub editor, in the Details section under
Supporting Documents. Download them by clicking the link(s). ALWAYS reference these documents, but be
sure to do your own research, as client documents are not guaranteed to be error-free.
For KY files, we recommend having the TAES, TAG, and WS open alongside your file as you work to check
spellings (all three), on/off the record times (TAG), and parties in the case (TAES).
Be sure to read the Handbook for more details on sup docs.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Non-Germane Speech
Speech not relevant to the proceeding is described as non-germane and is not transcribed. This typically
includes someone saying thank you when being handed a water or a speaker attending remotely having an
aside with a family member who entered the room.
As a general rule, speech should ONLY be transcribed if it falls between clear statements of on the record and
off the record. Making these declarations is the responsibility of an official party such as a court reporter.
● Do NOT transcribe mic testing or chatter at the beginning of the audio prior to going on the record.
● Do NOT transcribe whispers and mutters between parties, as these are often privileged conversations.
Inserts
Legal transcription requires that certain events in a proceeding be marked with uniquely formatted items of text.
These are typically known as parentheticals, examination headings, and by lines. Commonly marked events
include: the start of a witness examination (heading) with the name of the examiner (by line), the proceedings
going off the record (parenthetical), or when an exhibit is being marked for identification (parenthetical).
These elements are available in a menu of inserts, which can be accessed via Shift + Space. The inserts are
organized by category, E: for Exhibits, G: for General, H: for Headings, O: for On/Off The Record, and W: for
Witness.
(This hotkey can be changed via Manage Account > Manage Hotkeys > Insert Template. Make sure this hotkey is
enabled for your editor!)
ALWAYS place an insert on its own line with no speaker ID. (No response.) is the sole exception to this rule.
Some inserts feature all-caps words such as NAME or TIME. You must replace these with the relevant
information, such as the witness's full name or the time a proceeding has gone off the record. Inserts may also
feature an either/or option with a slash between them. Choose the appropriate word and delete the other.
ATTENTION: Use ONLY the inserts outlined in this guide. Do NOT make up your own inserts.
Incorrectly formatted inserts will cause errors in the WorkHub. ONLY edit an insert as instructed by the SG.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Colloquy
Colloquy (Conversation) is a standard paragraph style with speaker IDs. It is used for any conversational part of
official legal proceedings, such as party introductions, discussions amongst judges and lawyers, and the
swearing-in process.
Except in very rare circumstances, the examination of a witness under oath is NEVER transcribed in Colloquy.
Speaker IDs
Speaker IDs are written in ALL CAPS.
Do NOT use first names unless two parties have the same surname, i.e. MR. JOHN SMITH and MR. JAMES
SMITH. Suffixes are permitted, i.e. MR. RUIZ JR. and MR. RUIZ SR. Hyphenated or surnames with spaces are
permitted if the party introduces themselves as such, i.e. MS. HIGGS-BAUER-STRATTEN or MR. NIGHT HORSE.
Common Speaker Names

● MR. SURNAME / MS. SURNAME - attorneys and general non-witness speakers
○ Do NOT use MRS. in speaker IDs or in the text. ONLY use MS. to identify female speakers.
● THE WITNESS - person sworn in and questioned via examination
● THE COURT REPORTER, THE VIDEOGRAPHER, THE INTERPRETER
○ Use THE COURT REPORTER if the speaker describes themselves as both court reporter and
videographer for the proceeding.
● MALE SPEAKER / FEMALE SPEAKER / UNKNOWN SPEAKER - unidentifiable speakers
○ For multiple unknown speakers, add numerals at the end, i.e. MALE SPEAKER 2
Court Speaker Names

● THE COURT (the judge), THE ARBITRATOR, THE ARBITER, THE BAILIFF, THE CLERK, THE DEPUTY
● JUROR 1, 2, 3 - identified by number (most common)
● JUROR SURNAME - if their number is not yet assigned or unknown
Miscellaneous Speaker Names

● INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR - if speaker on a recording is unknown
● DR. SURNAME, DETECTIVE SURNAME - persons with professional titles not sworn as witnesses
Swearing-In of the Witness

A witness must be sworn in by a court-certified official before they can be examined under oath.
Transcribe the entire swearing-in exchange, using Colloquy format. Do NOT use any inserts or parentheticals.
THE COURT REPORTER Okay. And Ms. Doe, will you please raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear or
affirm that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
THE WITNESS Yes.
THE COURT REPORTER All right. You may begin.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. WHITE:
Q Ma'am, could you state your full name for the record, please?
A Jane Elizabeth Doe.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Q&A
Q&A (Questions & Answers) is a formal legal style in which the letters Q and A are used as speaker IDs. Q&A is
reserved for the examination of a witness by a party such as an attorney, judge, or investigator. Label the person
asking the questions with a Q, and label the deponent or witness, the person answering, with an A.
We suggest (but don't require) naming Speaker 1 (CTRL + 1) and Speaker 2 (CTRL + 2) in the WorkHub editor as
Q and A. Consider naming Speaker 3 as THE WITNESS and continuing from there with the other participants in
the file. This may help your ID stamping be more efficient.
Order of Examinations
Most proceedings will always begin with a Direct Examination, no matter which party in a case goes first.
Following examination headings will depend upon whether the next lawyer to question is on the same side as
Direct (use Examination) or on the opposing side to Direct (use Cross-Examination).
Supplemental documents may offer notes as to who examined in what order and how to title them. ALWAYS
double-check and use your own judgment.
TIP: In depositions, the taking attorney has requested the deposition and as such almost always conducts a
Direct. The copy attorney is typically the opposing party and follows after with Cross. Multiple attorneys for
multiple parties may be present at depositions.
ATTENTION: A judge or other officer is usually a neutral party in a proceeding. If they conduct an
examination, they receive a simple EXAMINATION heading, and their by line would be their speaker name,
such as THE COURT or THE ARBITRATOR.
Example Headings Table

A witness in a trial is examined by four lawyers, each representing three parties in a case.
[P]laintiff’s counsel: James Smith, Ann Reed

[D]efendant insurance company’s counsel: Tom Jones
[D]efendant Larry White, M.D.’s counsel: Mary King
[P] Mr. Smith asks first set of questions DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SMITH
[D] Mr. Jones asks first set of questions CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. JONES
[P] Ms. Reed asks first set of questions EXAMINATION BY MS. REED
[P] Mr. Smith asks second set of questions REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SMITH
[D] Ms. King asks first set of questions EXAMINATION BY MS. KING
[D] Mr. Jones asks second set of questions RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. JONES
[P] Ms. Reed asks second set of questions RE-EXAMINATION BY MS. REED
[P] Mr. Smith asks third and final set of questions FURTHER DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SMITH

Legal Phoenix | KY
Examination Headings and By Lines
When the examination of a witness is about to begin, use one of the following Examination Heading inserts. A
By Line will be included in the text. Replace NAME with the speaker name of the questioning party, such as MR.
SMITH or MS. JONES.
By lines are only required after an examination heading. Do NOT insert by lines anywhere else.
NOTE: Colloquy must transition to Q&A when questioning begins.
● H: Direct Examination — the first attorney questions

● H: Cross-Examination — the second attorney questions
● H: Redirect Examination — the first attorney questions again
● H: Recross-Examination — the second attorney questions again
● H: Further Direct Examination — the first attorney questions a third or more time
● H: Further Cross-Examination — the second attorney questions a third or more time
● H: Examination — another attorney from either party questions
● H: Re-Examination — the same attorney questions again
● H: Further Examination — the same attorney questions a third or more time
H: Direct Examination DIRECT EXAMINATION

BY NAME:
THE WITNESS Yes, I'm ready.

MS. JONES Good. Let's get started.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MS. JONES:
Q Hi, Jane. I'm Barbara Jones. Do you remember me?
A Yes, Barbara. I do. Hello.
Q Great. So let me begin. Have you ever been deposed before?
A No. This is my first time.
An examination ends when an attorney makes a closing statement such as, "I don't have anything else," or
"That's all I have." Q&A transitions back to Colloquy with that statement. Q&A may resume if the attorney
changes their mind and asks further questions, or when another attorney begins their own examination.
A Alan filed the paperwork. That's the last I knew about it.
MR. WEISS Thank you. I have nothing further.
THE COURT REPORTER Great. Any cross-examination, then?
MS. ABEL I do, thanks.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY MS. ABEL:
Q So you're just throwing Alan under the bus now?
A Excuse me?
ATTENTION: Cases may have parties other than Plaintiff v. Defendant. Check the case title in the sup docs
for how a file's parties are labeled, such as Agency v. Employee, or State v. Defendant.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Interruptions in Q&A
Witness examinations are rarely completed without interruption. Transition back and forth between Q&A and
Colloquy as needed.
Examples of Transitions
● The questioning lawyer addresses the court reporter to mark an exhibit
● Q or A addresses any speaker other than each other
● Another lawyer enters an objection or makes a comment
● The witness asks for a break
● A court reporter asks for a spelling or clarification
● An interpreter breaks their role to make a comment or clarification
● A judge gives an instruction or reminder
● The lawyer ends an examination
NOTE: The witness's speech cannot be labeled as A unless directly preceded by a Q. If an objection or other
interruption separates a Question from an Answer, the speaker ID for A must change to THE WITNESS.
EXCEPTION: If a section of a multi-part file begins mid-examination and the witness is answering a
question, you use A to match the Q that will precede it when the parts are rejoined.
REMINDER: Even after Q&A is interrupted and resumes, do NOT insert a by line.
Q Have you ever been in this law office before, Jane?

MR. WHITE Objection, relevance.
THE WITNESS I have been here, that's true.
Q And what were you doing here?
A Mr. White's partner is my husband. I visit him often.
You may split a lawyer's speech between Q&A and Colloquy if they address multiple parties in their turn.
A My husband would know more about that than me.

Q Great. Good thing I'm deposing him next.
MR. AMES Actually, Ms. Smythe, you're also the husband's lawyer, correct?
MS. SMYTHE I am.
MR. AMES Interesting. Guess you're just here all day. Now, where was I?
Q So your husband was the one who dealt mostly with the insurance agent?
A That's right.
ATTENTION: Parentheticals do NOT typically interrupt Q&A. You may continue using Q or A after a
parenthetical if it occurs during questioning.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Interpreters/Translators
An interpreter may be called on to assist in a proceeding. Once an interpreter has been sworn in, the
interpreter's remarks during Q&A are substituted for that of the deponent, except when the interpreter breaks
their role.
Do NOT transcribe any non-English speech, unless it's something very common that you're sure you
understand, like Spanish "si" for "yes."
Swearing in the Interpreter

Transcribe the entire swearing-in exchange, using Colloquy format. Do NOT use any inserts or parentheticals.
THE COURT And Ms. Durer is here to translate from German for us. Can we get her sworn in, please?
THE COURT REPORTER Ms. Durer, will you please raise your right hand for me? Do you solemnly swear or
affirm that the translation you're about to give will be true, concise, and accurate to the best of your ability?
THE INTERPRETER I do.
THE COURT Excellent. Let's continue.
When the witness is sworn in through an interpreter, transcribe the entire swearing in exchange. Do NOT use
any inserts or parentheticals.
THE COURT Please swear in the witness.

THE COURT REPORTER And Mr. Obel, will you please raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear or affirm
that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
THE WITNESS Yes.
THE COURT REPORTER Your witness, Ms. Carmody.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MS. CARMODY:
Q I'll be brief. How long have you worked for Mr. Schmidt?
A Seven years.
Examination through Interpreter

As stated above, the interpreter's remarks during Q&A will be substituted for that of the deponent, and their
speaker ID will be A.
Said:
(Attorney) Where do you live?
(Interpreter) ¿Dónde vives?
(Witness) Vivo en Berkeley.
(Interpreter) I live in Berkeley.
Transcribe:
Q Where do you live?
A I live in Berkeley.

Legal Phoenix | KY
If the interpreter breaks their role to comment or clarify, the transcript shifts to Colloquy and the speaker name
THE INTERPRETER would be used.
Q Where do you live?

A I'm visiting Berkeley.
THE INTERPRETER Sorry, I need to correct myself. He actually said, "I live in Berkeley."
THE COURT REPORTER Thank you for the clarification. Please continue.
If a speaker is mixing English and another language, or a situation where omitting the non-English text would
cause confusion, you may use the [speaks in Language] tag. Replace the word Language with the appropriate
language being spoken.
Q [speaks in Spanish]? God, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting I have to let you translate.
THE INTERPRETER That's okay. For the record, Counsel just asked the witness, "Is that all?"
Voir Dire
Voir dire is the preliminary process by which a judge or attorney examines potential jurors to determine whether
they are fit to serve for a particular trial, or to determine the eligibility of expert witnesses via their credentials,
reliability, and relevance to a case.
These examinations are always formatted in Colloquy, and receive a simple VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION heading.
If needed, you may use the H: Voir Dire Examination insert. Do NOT use a by line with voir dire headings.
Questioning an Expert Witness

MS. PIERCE Your Honor, I'd like to voir dire the witness, please.
THE COURT Go ahead.
VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION
MS. PIERCE What is your current occupation?
THE WITNESS I'm a forensic scientist.
MS. PIERCE Do you have any specialized degrees or training?
THE WITNESS Yes, I have this, this, and this.
MS. PIERCE Those are all the questions I have.
Questioning Potential Jurors

VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION
MR. WEBER Do you have members of your immediate family who are police officers for this city?
JUROR No, I don't.
MR. WEBER Have you or any members of your family ever been the victims of criminal conduct?
JUROR No, not that I know of.
NOTE: In rare cases, voir dire may interrupt an ongoing examination of an expert witness if some question
about their credibility arises. The resuming of that original examination after voir dire requires a continuation
heading. For example, a Direct Examination interrupted by a voir dire would resume with CONTINUED DIRECT
EXAMINATION and a by line.
The inserts H: Continued Cross-Exam (KY: Voir Dire) and H: Continued Direct Exam (KY: Voir Dire) are
available should such a scenario arise.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Exhibits
ATTENTION: An exhibit cannot be admitted into evidence unless a judge or similar court official is present to
do so.
During legal proceedings, exhibits such as photos, videos, records of text messages, and various other
documents may be used for evidentiary purposes. Legal transcription requires certain mentions of these
exhibits to be noted with parentheticals.
Depositions
Attorneys may use a number of exhibits when deposing a witness. The attorney is required to show the witness
the exhibit and state what number or letter the exhibit is known by. This is often the point in which the court
reporter makes note that a new exhibit has been marked.
After the exhibit has been introduced, use the E: Exhibit Marked insert on a line by itself with no speaker ID.
Replace NUMBER with the exhibit number/letter. Check the sup docs, such as the TAES exhibit list, to make sure
the exhibits are being identified correctly.
E: Exhibit Marked (Exhibit NUMBER was marked for identification.)
MR. WAZOWSKI And I'll be marking this exhibit as Anderson Deposition Notes, Exhibit Number 5.
(Exhibit 5 was marked for identification.)
THE COURT REPORTER Got it.
Q I'd like to show you Exhibit 22.

MR. GOFORTH That's the one we talked about off the record, right?
MS. SMYTHE Yes, sir.
MR. KHAN And this is marked as Exhibit 9.

MR. KHAN Mr. Court Reporter, you can find it in the list we provided to you earlier as Agricultural Report 82.
It's nearly 300 pages long. 298, to be exact. You can only imagine how long this took me to get printed out. I was
worried the printer was going to run out of ink for a while there.
MS. ANTHONY Sorry, Mr. Khan, can we get on with this, please?

Legal Phoenix | KY
The marking of exhibits follows the rules of interruptions in Q&A. If an exhibit is marked during Q&A and the
questioning lawyer speaks only to the witness, speaker IDs remain as Q and A. If the lawyer clearly addresses
the court reporter, another lawyer, or anyone not the witness, the ID becomes Colloquy.
Q Showing you an exhibit I'm marking as 28. Report to the Inspector General Version 2.
A I can see it.
Q Let me get these exhibits together here.

A Okay.
MR. THOMAS Jim, I'm marking this one as Exhibit 4. You have a copy, right?
MR. ELLERY I do, yeah.
Q Great. Okay. Ms. Flannery, have you seen this photo before?
A Of course. I took it.
If a lawyer marks multiple exhibits at a time, every exhibit must have its own parenthetical. Be sure to use the
speaker ID again if you must break up a paragraph to place parentheticals.
Q Okay. Nothing further with that document. Similarly, I'd like to mark Exhibits 38 and 39. I have no
questions about those. Just want to formally mark those for the record.
Q 25, I'd like to mark for the record. No questions about that.
A I hope you don't expect me to remember all those numbers at once, sir.
ATTENTION: Use only one parenthetical per unique exhibit at the most logical point for it to be marked. An
exhibit cannot be marked multiple times within the same transcript. An exception to this is exhibits for
different parties with the same numbers.
Court
Attorneys may use a number of exhibits as evidence in trial or hearings. They are required to offer their exhibits
to the Court and the other parties. Offering an exhibit may involve marking it for the record. Opposing counsel
may object and argue that certain exhibits should not be allowed in. It is ultimately the Court's decision whether
or not an exhibit may be admitted into evidence.
If a judge or other official allows an exhibit, use the E: Exhibit Admitted insert on a line by itself with no speaker
ID. Replace NUMBER with the exhibit number/letter. Check the sup docs, such as the TAES exhibit list, to make
sure the exhibits are being identified correctly.
E: Exhibit Admitted (Exhibit NUMBER was admitted into evidence.)
MR. WAZOWSKI Your Honor, I'd like to admit Defendant's Lease, Exhibit 8 C into evidence.
THE COURT Hearing no objection, that's so admitted, Counsel.
(Exhibit 8 C was admitted into evidence.)

Legal Phoenix | KY
A lawyer in court may mark an exhibit before it is admitted into evidence by the judge. If so, you may use both
parentheticals as appropriate. Check the TAG and TAES for help determining what exhibits are marked and/or
admitted.
MR. SCORBIE State would like to offer this document as Exhibit A. I'm marking it as that, Cindy.
(Exhibit A was marked for identification.)
THE COURT REPORTER You said A?
MR. SCORBIE Yes, ma'am.
THE COURT Any objection from the plaintiff?
MS. WRIGHT None, Judge.
THE COURT Understood. Exhibit A admitted.
(Exhibit A was admitted into evidence.)
Previously Marked Exhibits

As a general rule, a parenthetical is not required if an exhibit has already been marked in a previous
deposition for that same witness. To know if a parenthetical is required, here's a few things to look for: a lawyer
explicitly stating, "I'm marking this as X," the court reporter asking if they want to mark the exhibit, the TAG
noting an exhibit has been marked, or the TAES featuring an exhibit list.
Sometimes, the same exhibit may be marked for each witness in depositions related to the same case. Each
deposition transcript is a unique document, and requires parentheticals if the lawyer states they're marking that
exhibit for this witness.
Do your best to determine when to use a parenthetical or not. If in doubt, mark it. It's easier for the client to
remove an unneeded parenthetical than to add one in.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Certified Questions and Objections
On rare occasions, a lawyer may ask for a question or an objection to be certified. This generally means that the
lawyer wants the place in the transcript marked so they can find it easily in the future.
Use the G: Certified Question and G: Certified Objection inserts. Place them on their own line above the
question or objection requested to be certified.
G: Certified Question (A certified question was asked.)
Q And James wasn't your friend, was he?

A No.
(A certified question was asked.)
Q So why did you go to James' house that night?
A I'd prefer not to answer that.
Q So you're refusing to answer?
A Yes.
MR. LI Okay. I'd like that question certified, Madam Court Reporter.
G: Certified Objection (A certified objection was made.)
Q You were in a relationship with Amos at the time, though, weren't you?
(A certified objection was made.)
MR. GENTRY Objection. That's not relevant to the case at hand.
MR. LEWIS I'd like that objection certified, please.
NOTE: These parentheticals are ONLY required if the request to certify is made. Do NOT use them to mark
any other standard questions or objections throughout the transcript.
ATTENTION: We do NOT use any parentheticals to mark formal requests. Those are separate from certified
questions or objections and are handled by the client.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Marking Confidential Discussions
At times, confidential matters may arise in a proceeding. If a speaker announces that something is
confidential, use the G: Confidential Begin and G: Confidential End inserts at the start and end of that section
of the transcript.
G: Confidential Begin (Proceedings were deemed confidential.)
G: Confidential End (Proceedings were deemed not confidential.)
MR. EMMET Okay. I just have a couple more things. But it is going to be getting into confidential stuff
surrounding the projects Ms. Farris supervised at Echo Solutions.
(Proceedings were deemed confidential.)
Q Ms. Farris, you worked on something at Echo Solutions that was codenamed Stopwatch; have I got that
right?
A Yes.
Q And Stopwatch was a project you were working on for the US Government, correct?
A It was.
Q And what was Stopwatch for?
A That's kind of a broad question, but a rough summary would be that Project Stopwatch was a series of
highly technical experiments to try to provide the White House with a method to gauge the response time of certain
communications systems.
Q Communications with who?
A Like if the President needed to get in contact with the leader of another nation very quickly.
Q I see. And how successful was Project Stopwatch?
A Not very. The contract didn't last long.
Q Great. Thanks.
MR. EMMET That's all I have for the confidential questions.
(Proceedings were deemed not confidential.)
MR. EMMET We can move on to Mr. Kalso's questions now if you're ready, Eric?

Legal Phoenix | KY
Reading or Playing Back the Record
Occasionally, the court reporter may be asked to repeat a portion of the proceedings to clarify an issue or
refresh someone's recollection. The court reporter will either read aloud the relevant text, or play back the
audio of what was said.
Do NOT transcribe the readback or playback. Use either the G: Record Readback insert or the G: Record
Playback as appropriate.
G: Record Readback (Record was read back.)
MR. BOWEN No, no. I don't think that's what you said at all.
MR. GIBBS I would disagree. But why don't we let the record say it for us? Sid?
THE COURT REPORTER Give me two seconds, guys. That was several minutes ago.
MR. BOWEN Take your time. Take your time.
THE COURT REPORTER Here it is.
(Record was read back.)
MR. BOWEN See? Told you so.
G: Record Playback (Record was played back.)
Q So when you went into town, you were [inaudible 00:22:54].

A I'm sorry, I didn't catch that last part. Can you repeat it again?
MR. BOWEN You know what? I've forgotten what I said. Sid, could you play that back for us?
THE COURT REPORTER Sure thing.
(Record was played back.)
Q Does that clear it up?
A It did, thank you. I was a little upset that morning when I went to work, yeah.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Audio or Video Recordings Played
ATTENTION: The WS supplemental document may contain special instructions for these situations. If so,
please ask your admins so we can verify with the client if we should follow them.
Attorneys will often make use of audio and video recordings of past events and conversations to base their
questions off of. When these recordings are played on the record, make use of two inserts, G: Played
Audio/Video and G: Stopped Audio/Video. Choose the appropriate word for the type of recording.
Do transcribe any speech present on the recording in Colloquy format.
G: Played Audio/Video (Audio/video recording was played.)
G: Stopped Audio/Video (Audio/video recording was stopped.)
Q I'm going to play us a little recording of a phone conversation you had last month.
(Audio recording was played.)
MR. SMITH Hello?
THE WITNESS Smith, is that you? I can hardly hear you.
(Audio recording was stopped.)
Q Was that indeed you on the phone with Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones?
Speakers involved in the proceeding may talk over a recording being played. If the speaker is the same person,
such as the witness talking over themselves, place the speech on separate lines to avoid confusion.
Q Okay. Please look at the screen, if you will. I'm starting the video.
(Video recording was played.)
MS. TAI You hit me. I had right-of-way and you hit me.
THE WITNESS No, no, no. I was in the right-hand lane. I get to go first.
THE WITNESS I really was on her right side. She was coming from the left.
MR. AMES Please wait to comment until the video is done, if you could. Thanks.
MS. TAI I was going straight across. You don't get to turn in front of me. I go, then you go after.
(Video recording was stopped.)
Q Okay. That's enough of that. Do you still deny that you violated the rules of the road in turning first?
A I do. That's how it's in the driver's manual. If you're on the right of someone else in an intersection, you
get to turn first. That woman should've waited for me before she went. It's not my fault we ran into each other when she
got in my space. It's her fault.

Legal Phoenix | KY
No Response
ATTENTION: This is the only parenthetical that must be used with a speaker ID.
If a question is asked and you cannot hear any response from the next speaker, use the G: No Response insert
to mark the lack of audible answer. This is also appropriate to use if it seems the speaker may have nodded or
shaken their head but did not speak.
G: No Response (No response.)
Q But that's not what actually happened, is it? You went to see Alice instead.
A (No response.)
Q Okay. I get it. I'll move on. But silence like that isn't going to help you in front of a jury.
Q That's not what you did?

A (No response.)
Q I really need you to answer yes or no. The record can't show your head shaking.
A Sorry. No, I did not and never would do that.
NOTE: If the TAG notes the speaker's response as YES or NO where the audio is silent, you may include those
short responses in the transcript. Using (No response.) instead is also acceptable. If the TAG's noted answer
is longer, do not rely on the court reporter having captured it verbatim. Use (No response.) instead.
You may also apply this logic to the usage of the [inaudible] tag. If the TAG notes more than just a yes or no
in a problematic part of the audio and you cannot verify what's being said, do not add in that text.
In situations such as roll calls where a speaker is addressed but may not be present or able to speak, use their
speaker ID and the G: No Response insert to indicate their silence.
MR. KLIEN Okay, time to call the roll. Amy Prescott?

MS. PRESCOTT Here.
MR. KLIEN Michael Shields?
MR. SHIELDS (No response.)
MR. KLIEN Michael's not here yet. Noted. Dale Brown?
MR. BROWN I'm present.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Taking a Break
Legal proceedings often span multiple hours and comfort breaks are customary. Any party may request time to
do something like get some water, take a phone call, or review their questions. When the court reporter or other
official states they're off the record, use the O: Break or Pause insert. Replace TIME in standard hh:mm
AM/PM format.
NOTE: Always check the supplemental documents, such as the TAG. You may use times listed in the court
reporter's notes or other documents to replace TIME in the parenthetical.
● If there is a difference between the times stated on the audio and the times present in the TAG, use
what is said on the audio.
● If the court reporter states the time zone, you may include it in the parenthetical as an abbreviation,
i.e. Central Time = CT, Mountain Time = MT. The time zone is usually noted in the Stipulation page of
the TAES.
O: Break or Pause (Off the record at TIME and resumed at TIME.)
THE WITNESS I'm sorry. I'm a little dry. Can I step out for a bottle of water, please?
MR. TESH Sure thing. Let's take a five minute break.
THE COURT REPORTER Going off the record at 10:58 AM Eastern.
(Off the record at 10:58 AM ET and resumed at 11:20 AM ET.)
THE COURT REPORTER And we're back on the record. It's 11:20 AM. Mr. Tesh, if you'd like to continue?
MR. TESH Thanks, Madam Court Reporter.
A proceeding may go off the record without the standard announcement. There may be an extended silence or
perhaps an abrupt transition to the court reporter saying, "We're back on the record." Check the TAG to see if
the court reporter noted an event at that time like "stopped recording" or "off the record." If so, use the O:
Break or Pause. You may omit "at TIME" if necessary.
Q And what happened when you were--

A Sorry, what? You cut out.
THE COURT REPORTER Mr. Smith? Are you there?
THE WITNESS I think we lost him.
THE COURT REPORTER I think we did. Let me go check something.
(Off the record and resumed.)
THE COURT REPORTER We are back on the record.
Q Anyway, as I was about to ask: what happened when you went back to work that day?
ATTENTION: A proceeding going on the record does NOT require a parenthetical.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Ending a Transcript
Legal transcripts typically require a closing parenthetical. There are a few options, depending on the proceeding.
NOTE: Always check the supplemental documents, such as the TAG. You may use times listed in the court
reporter's notes or other documents to replace TIME in the parenthetical.
● If there is a difference between the times stated on the audio and the times present in the TAG, use
what is said on the audio.
● If the court reporter states the time zone, you may include it in the parenthetical as an abbreviation,
i.e. Central Time = CT, Mountain Time = MT. The time zone is usually noted in the Stipulation page of
the TAES.
Depositions
Use the O: Deposition Conclude insert to finish a transcript. Replace TIME in standard hh:mm AM/PM format.
O: Deposition Conclude (Deposition concluded at TIME.)
THE COURT REPORTER Thank you, everyone. That concludes today's deposition. The time is 5:45 PM.
(Deposition concluded at 5:45 PM CT.)
Other Proceedings
Use these inserts to close out the transcript of the relevant proceedings.
NOTE: Use the options marked (Ongoing) if a proceeding is being rescheduled or will continue to another
day. Use the options marked (Ended) if you know the proceeding is fully concluded.
Proceeding Insert Name Insert Text
Arbitrations O: Arbitration Conclude (Arbitration concluded at TIME.)
Depositions (Ongoing) O: Deposition Suspend (Deposition suspended at TIME.)
Examinations Under Oath O: EUO Conclude (Examination Under Oath concluded at TIME.)
Hearings (Ended) O: Hearing Conclude (Hearing concluded at TIME.)
Hearings (Ongoing) O: Hearing Suspend (Hearing suspended at TIME.)
Trials (Ongoing) O: Trial Recess (Trial recessed at TIME.)
Trials (Ended) O: Trial Conclude (Trial concluded at TIME.)
ATTENTION: Use these inserts ONLY at the end of a complete transcript when proceedings are finished.
NOTE: If both a videographer and a court reporter are present in a file, the videographer may go off the
record before the audio actually ends. As we are creating the written record, continue transcribing until the
court reporter declares proceedings off the record.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Style Guidelines
ATTENTION: For any rules or situations not listed here, defer to the standard TranscribeMe Clean Verbatim
style guide.
Redactions
An attorney, judge, or other official in a proceeding may give instructions to redact a piece of information in the
transcript. If this occurs, DO redact accordingly. Some commonly redacted items are as follows, but if an
instruction is given to redact something not listed here, make the redaction.
NOTE: If necessary, a minor's speaker ID may use their initials, i.e. James Ford would be MR. F.
Social Security Numbers

Redact Social Security numbers in any transcript, whether an instruction is made on the record or not.
My Social Security number is XXX-XX-XXXX.

The last four of my Social are XXXX.
Minors
Redact the names of any minor children mentioned in a transcript. The common age of majority in most of the
United States is 18. If you're uncertain of a young individual's specific age, err on the side of redacting anyway.
Use a capital letter and a period, and put a space between two initials.
Said: So your son's name is Thomas Miller?

Transcribe: So your son's name is T. M.?
Said: The girls' names are Amy and Lisa.

Transcribe: The girls' names are A. and L.
Said: My name is spelled A-B-B-Y.

Transcribe: My name is spelled A.
If there are multiple minors with the same initials, add a number in the order they're mentioned and omit the
periods.
Said: Louis and Louisa are identical twins.

Transcribe: L1 and L2 are identical twins.
Minors in case names should also be redacted.
Said: We're here today in the matter of Sheila Vermeer, a Child, v. Hatham Wright.
Transcribe: We're here today in the matter of S. V., a Child, v. Hatham Wright.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Nicknames or suffixes may be omitted or substituted with their initial if they might betray the child's identity.
Said: So Junior shares his name with a family member, right? His name is actually Danny?
Transcribe: So D. shares his name with a family member, right? His name is actually D.?
Said: I want to ask some questions about Kelsey Marx Jr. now.
Transcribe: I want to ask some questions about K. M. now.
Emails and social media handles for minors may be redacted if mentioned.
Said: My email is dannywebber@gmail.com.

Transcribe: My email is XXX.
Said: My Insta is @BackflippingBecca.

Transcribe: My Insta is XXX.
Birthdates
Redact birthdates if instructed. Transcribe normally if no specific request is made to redact.
My birthday is XX/XX/XXXX.
Strike That
A speaker may say "strike that," or "strike that from the record." Do NOT remove anything from the transcript.
Q So you didn't know what was going to happen when you went to that party? No, strike that. Let me
rephrase. Did you know what Davis had planned for that night?
A No, sir, I did not.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Contractions and Slang
ATTENTION: The rules in this list are to be followed to the best of your ability to create a polished legal
transcript. QAs and Reviewers will not be penalized for an occasional violation. This list is not all inclusive. If a
word or phrase is not mentioned here, use your best judgment or ask an admin.
● Keep contractions when used with nouns and personal pronouns, such as: I'm, you'd, he's, she'll, it's,
we've, they're, someone's, somebody'd, something's
● Keep contractions of 's used with interrogative and demonstrative words, such as: who's, what's,
this's, that's
● Expand contractions of 're, 'd, 'll, and 've used with interrogative and demonstrative words
○ For example: who're = who are, what'd = what did or what would, where'll = where will,
how've = how have
● Keep contractions used with verbs except for could've, should've, would've, might've, must've,
mightn't, and mustn't.
○ Expand these to could have, should have, would have, might have, must have, might not,
and must not.
● Do NOT use sorta, kinda, wanna, gonna. Transcribe sort of, kind of, want to, going to.
● Do NOT use slang, such as: yep, yup, cuz, 'cause, finna, etc.
● DO use y'all and ain't and gotcha and alls when said.
Feedback, Crutch, Filler, Partial Words, and Stutters

● DO include all feedback words, even as interruptions, such as right, okay, yeah, etc.
● Do NOT use mm-hmm or mm-mm. Change them to uh-huh or uh-uh.
● Do NOT include filler words (uhs and ums).
● Do NOT include par partial words.
● Do NOT include st-stutters.
● Do NOT include stuttered complete words when they are clearly not the intended final word. (I-- I-- I'm
going home. | But there-- there's no time left on the clock. | He was-- wasn't at work today.)
● DO include crutch words (like, you know | It was, like, so hot outside, you know, like, so many degrees.)
Nonverbal Responses
Use uh-huh for yes and uh-uh for no when they are the sole response to a question. Do NOT use mm-hmm or
mm-mm.
Sole Response (Correct)

Q So you went straight home after that?
A Uh-huh.
Q But you didn’t get your shopping done?
A Uh-uh.
Further Response (Incorrect)

Q So you went straight home after that?
A Uh-huh. I went home and went to bed.
Q But you didn’t get your shopping done?
A Uh-uh. I had to get milk the next day.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Do NOT include uh-huh or uh-uh as feedback noises. Only keep proper feedback words such as right, yeah,
okay, etc.
No Nonverbal Feedback (Correct)

Q Let me establish what I'm asking here. You went to Amir's apartment. You got back the notebook you'd
left there last night. What did you do with the notebook after that?
A I took it home and destroyed it.
Nonverbal Feedback (Incorrect)

Q Let me establish what I'm asking here. You went to Amir's apartment.
A Uh-huh.
Q You got back the notebook you'd left there last night.
A Uh-huh.
Q What did you do with the notebook after that?
A I took it home and destroyed it.
Use huh? as a nonverbal response to indicate a speaker did not hear or understand something. Do NOT use
questioning noises such as hmm or eh.
THE COURT Mr. Johnson, did you hear what your lawyer said?
THE WITNESS Huh?
THE COURT Counsel, maybe you should repeat the question.
Numbers
● Use words for zero through ten: zero, one, two, three…
● Use numerals for numbers greater than ten: 11, 12, 13…
○ Change zero through ten to numerals for consistency with higher numbers. (10 or 11 cookies |
approximately 6 out of 14 candidates)
● Use numerals for percentages. Spell out the word "percent." Do NOT use the % symbol.
● Use numerals for money.
● Use a currency symbol for money if it is stated, but only use our approved currency symbols $, £, and
€. (455 dollars = $455 | 22 bucks = 22 bucks | 12 thousand pounds = £12,000 | 30 euros = €30)
● Use ampersand (&) if it is the common formatting of a name. (Smithers & Phelps)
Exceptions
Use words for:
● Fractions not for technical measurements (three-fifths of a pizza but 1/8 of an inch)
● Inexact numbers (several thousand widgets)

Legal Phoenix | KY
Use numerals for:
● Human Ages and Heights (5-year-old child | 5' tall woman | I'm 6'3")
● Addresses (6525 1st Street)
● Wards and districts (11th District)
● Dates (see below)
● Decimals (99.6 percent)
● Exhibit numbers (Exhibit 15)
● Measurements (8x8 square timber post | 10 milligrams | 20/20 vision | 5 feet away)
● Money ($5 | $53,625)
● Pain Scale (My pain is around a 3 today.)
● Phone numbers (123-867-5309)
● Pages, paragraphs, lines, articles, subsections, chapters, parts, volumes, media, etc. (page 2 | under
Exhibit 4 | 2nd paragraph | line number 2 | in article 6 | clause 2b | chapter 19 | start of media 2 | end
of part 3 | Bates number 0000180)
○ NOTE: Use numerals even if the number given is an ordinal. (the 2nd chapter | in the 6th
paragraph)
● Serial numbers (12456980)
● Time (see below)
● Mathematical equations (50 times 2 divided by 4 minus 5 plus 10)
Dates
● Use numerals (08/26/86 | the 23rd | 1 October 1940 | 5th of August)
● Format with MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY, using zeros as placeholders (said: five, nine, eighty-two;
transcribe: 05/09/82)
● When only month and year are said, no comma between them (May '94 | June 2000)
● '70s, '90s (no apostrophe before the s)
● Use ordinals if they are spoken (said: the fourth of July, transcribe: the 4th of July)
Time
● Remove o'clock if said and add zeroes (10 o'clock = 10:00, 5 o'clock = 5:00)
● Add colon and zeros if only the hour is said (7:00, 10:00)
● Transcribe complex phrases as spoken (a quarter till 7:00, 15 after 5:00, 10 past 9:00)
● Transcribe full times with a colon (7:25, 12:15, 2:11, 9:00)
○ Do NOT add a zero before the hour.
● Transcribe AM and PM in all caps with no punctuation (5:30 PM, 9:00 AM)
● Transcribe military time with numerals (Fifteen hundred = 1500 | oh seven hundred hours = 0700)
○ Do NOT use a colon with military time.
Measures of Time
Transcribe measures of time according to the zero to ten rule.
It took five days for the package to arrive.

I was there for over nine hours.
He's been in jail for six weeks now.
I went on an 18-month sabbatical.
We'll continue this in 14 days.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Spelling, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Capitalization
● Use all right, NEVER alright.
● Use because, NEVER 'cause or cuz.
● Use email, NEVER e-mail or E-mail.
● Use et cetera, NEVER etc.
● Use okay, NEVER OK.
● Use online, NEVER on-line or on line.
● Use website, NEVER web-site or web site.
● Use yes or yeah, NEVER yep or yup.
● Use no or nope, NEVER nah.
Acronyms are words formed from the first initials of other words, which means you can often read an acronym
as a word. Acronyms should be transcribed in ALL CAPS with no periods, such as: FBI, UPS, LLC, NASA.
Exceptions:
M.D.
Ph. D.
D.O.
D.M.D.
Abbreviations are shortened forms of words. Use the following:
● Mr. and Ms. and Dr. and Jr. and Sr.

○ Do NOT use Mrs. or Miss unless absolutely necessary for context. (Ms. Abernathy, we-- do you go
by Ms. or Mrs.?)
● II, III, etc. (for the second, third, etc. of a name)
● St. for Saint (do NOT use for Street)
● v. for the names of all court cases
○ Johnson v. Smith
○ Baker Corp v. McKinney LLC
○ State v. Thomas Gibson
● vs. for any other usage of "versus"
○ Who do you think would win in a hotdog eating contest of John vs. Mike?
○ The bridesmaid dress colors were down to indigo vs. lavender vs. jade.
Transcribe common business abbreviations such as Inc. or Co. as spoken. Write out the whole word if the
speaker says Incorporated or Company.
Use a dash between each letter when spelling out a word.

● Said: Jim, J I M.
● Transcribe: Jim, J-I-M.
Capitalize time zones.

● Central Time Zone
● Eastern Standard

Legal Phoenix | KY
Capitalize words used in place of a person's name. Do NOT capitalize if pronouns or articles precede the name.
Hey, Doctor, could you say that again?

I'm sure the doctor will come into the courtroom any moment.
If Mom and Dad can help me raise bail, let me know.
If my mom and my dad can help, let me know.
Capitalize job titles when preceding a person's name. Do NOT capitalize when used without a name.
I asked Officer Simmons if the officer with him was his partner.
My name is Investigator Joe Bloggs.
I was made detective that year.
The sergeant wasn't available.
Of course, he'll never be chief of police.
I'm going to refer this to the attorney general.
Have you spoken to the public defender yet?
Capitalize common legal titles when used in place of a person's name. Do NOT capitalize if pronouns or articles
precede the name or if referring generally.
If I may, Your Honor, the State is ready to begin.

NOTE: Your Honor is ALWAYS capitalized.
I'm sorry, Counsel. I misinterpreted your question.
Can we get the counsel on the line?
Are there any counsels involved?
I'm not sure we actually have a plaintiff in this case.
Can we get Plaintiff's opinion on the matter?
The defendant doesn't have a legal leg to stand on.
At what point did Defendant submit this motion?
Can I get appearances, starting with Plaintiff's counsel?
Capitalize names of judicial bodies when referring to specific entities. Lowercase if referring generally.
Let the Jury decide.

Tell the Court.
Have you been on a jury before?
I wonder what time court starts.
Capitalize Exhibits when referring to a specific exhibit. Lowercase if referring to exhibits generally.
I'd like to show to the Court what's been previously marked as Exhibit 3.
But that's not in the exhibits you showed us yesterday, correct?
Capitalize terms such as Case Number when directly preceding the number itself. Lowercase if not.
This is regarding Case Number CI 2021-1845.

What's the log number for this case?
The log number is 2021-1845.
My star number is 4592.
Officer Reagan, Star Number 4592.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Do NOT capitalize the word number when used in a Bates stamp reference.
Let's take a look at this document, Bates number 40033.
Capitalize titles of specific documents. Lowercase if referring generally.
I'd like to talk about Louisa's Last Will and Testament.

But what about her will made you suspicious?
I'm going to show you the document from 05/12, your Certificate of Marriage to Peter Wells.
I've got the certificate around here someplace.
Do NOT capitalize page, paragraph, line, etc.

● page 2 | 2nd paragraph | line number 2 | in article 6 | clause 2b | chapter 19 | start of media 2 | end of
part 3 | Bates number 0000180
Emails and Web Addresses

Transcribe email and web addresses using traditional formatting.
● admin123@transcribeme.com
● www.law.cornell.edu
● http://www.deposition.org
Punctuation Rules
Follow standard punctuation rules, with the addition of the special cases outlined below.
DO use:
● a comma before and at the end of a list (We went to get eggs, milk, bread, and tomatoes.)
● necessary punctuation before double dashes (Mr.-- | Ms.-- | vs.-- | v.-- | The minor's name is A. H.-- )
Do NOT use:
● Diacritical marks: fiancee, not fiancée
● Exclamation points (unless formatted in a business name)
● A question mark after double dashes (But what were you--?)
Use quotation marks if a word or phrase is quoted exactly from a document or another speaker.
In this email, it says you were promoted to "senior production quality inspector"; did I read that right?
So you say you felt "uncomfortable" in your workplace. Please elaborate on that.
What do you mean by, "a document that they signed off on"?
Do NOT use quotation marks if the speaker is paraphrasing and changes even one word.
You said you were going to the market, right?

This document says things about you that aren't very kind; would you agree?
I don't have it in front of me right now, but the email said you and Ruth had a fight in the breakroom?

Legal Phoenix | KY
Use a colon when a sentence begins with a phrase that states what follows will be a question.
Now, let me ask you this: do-- did-- do you recall the time that happened?
My question was: why did you do that?
I asked you this: did you contact the police?
And so, I start off the deposition by asking you first: have you testified in a deposition setting before?
Use a semicolon if a generic prompt for confirmation of two or more words trails the previous sentence.
How long ago was that; do you know?

You were inside the building; is that correct?
The patient's medical record indicates they will need a pacemaker for life; did I read that right?
But that doesn't make sense; does it?
That won't change the past; will it?
If one of these short phrases comes at the end of a quotation, place the semicolon outside the quotation.
But in your email you said, "I don't ever want to work with this man again"; is that right?
Do NOT use a semicolon if the trailing question can stand independently and adds more detail.
What year did that happen? Was that 1970?

Did you say someone came home early? Was that Amy?
And where is Felix during that? Is he with you?
Use a comma if a generic prompt for confirmation of one word trails the previous sentence.
And that was the last time you worked there, in 2012, right?
She'd never done that before, correct?
I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?
Do not join unrelated sentences with a semicolon.
Incorrect: You're telling me you didn't meet Angela there; are you feeling okay today, ma'am?
Correct: You're telling me you didn't meet Angela there? Are you feeling okay today, ma'am?
Avoid sentence fragments if at all possible.
Incorrect: What's your address? Your street address?

Correct: What's your address, your street address?
Avoid comma splices if at all possible.
Incorrect: My injuries? I broke my ulna, I broke my tibia, I broke my left hip, I lost sight in one eye.
Correct: My injuries? I broke my ulna. I broke my tibia. I broke my left hip. I lost sight in one eye.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Spoken Punctuation
Legal proceedings can often involve discussing quotations or reading a document aloud. In these situations, you
may encounter spoken punctuation. Transcribe those spoken instructions to the best of your ability, placing
the punctuation in the appropriate locations. Remove the punctuation words.
If a speaker says quote/unquote, remove the words and place the quotes appropriately.
Incorrect: And her quote/unquote exact words were, I don't pay attention to that anymore.
Correct: And her exact words were, "I don't pay attention to that anymore."
If they split up the words quote and unquote, remove the words and place the quotes appropriately.
Incorrect: You wrote in this document, quote, I told them I was pregnant and they fired me, unquote.
Correct: You wrote in this document, "I told them I was pregnant and they fired me."
If there are multiple instances of spoken punctuation, remove the words and insert the punctuation.
Incorrect: And it says here, quote, that was it, period. I wouldn't do that anymore, period. Close quotes.
Correct: And it says here, "That was it. I wouldn't do that anymore."
If only slash is said, you may assume they mean forward slash and place it appropriately.
Incorrect: So you were unemployed slash freelance, right?

Correct: So you were unemployed/freelance, right?
False Starts and Repeated Words

A false start is when a speaker stops their train of thought abruptly and then resumes speaking, sometimes
changing topic and sometimes not. Preserve all false starts.
A repetition is the exact same word(s) being repeated once or several times in a row in a stuttering fashion. See
the specific rules below for how to handle repetitions.
False Starts
Use a double dash to indicate false starts. Do NOT capitalize the next word unless it's a proper noun.
At my first-- when I started my first-- I mean, I was at my-- it was my first job.
I had found a-- I mean, technically I didn't find-- well, my sister found the box first.
That was always the-- the plan was to-- I didn't think it was a good-- honestly, it was a bad plan.
We were-- James and I were going to get married.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Repetitions
If a judge or an attorney repeats exactly the same one or two words once, remove them to tidy up the speech.
If they repeat those words more than once, keep all repetitions.
THE COURT Do we want to go-- to go off the record?

THE COURT Do we want to go off the record?
Q What time did-- did the accident occur?

Q What time did the accident occur?
MR. SMITH I think-- I think-- I think I want to start with my expert witness.
If a witness or any other speaker repeats themselves, preserve all repetitions, and mark them with a double
dash just as you would a false start.
A I did-- I did tell the truth.
If any speaker repeats an entire sentence, keep all the sentences.
A I've always been straight with you. I've always been straight with you. Always.
When words are intentionally repeated for emphasis, use a comma.
THE WITNESS It was very, very cold, and we were there for a long, long time.
Q No, no, no. That's not what I asked you at all. I don't care how cold it was.
Interruptions
Use a double dash at the end of a sentence to indicate an interruption. Likewise, use the double dash at the
beginning of a sentence to indicate that the sentence is being continued.
Preserve all feedback words, even as interruptions. Nonverbal responses (uh-huh, uh-uh) are omitted.
Mid-sentence Interruption
A I think I was there around--
Q Please give an exact time.
A --5:00 PM. Okay, it was 4:45.
Quote Interruption
Q You stated that he said, "I'll bring you the documents--"
A Yes, he did.
Q "--on Friday afternoon."
Repeated Feedback Interruptions

A So I last saw Amy around--
Q Okay.
A --summertime, but we--
Q Right.
A --didn't live together until--
Q I understand.
A --after she left Rory.

Legal Phoenix | KY
Long Paragraphs
In legal transcription, smaller paragraphs are preferred. Break up any long paragraphs at logical topic shifts.
Aim for 6-7 lines and no more. Using the Preview option on the WorkHub can help you tell if a paragraph is too
long. Additional paragraphs do not require a speaker ID, as per the example below.
A Yes, sir. As I approached the vehicle on the driver's side, I came up to the driver's window, which he rolled
down. I immediately detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from within the vehicle. I observed the
defendant's eyes to be red and glassy in appearance.
He told me that he had a feeling this was going to happen. At that time, I did introduce myself. I explained to him
the reason for testing [inaudible 01:55:34] the stop, requested identification, a driver's license, to which he was
unable to produce. He said it was at his house.
Case Citations
If a speaker cites a case, they may mention elements such as the case name, the publication or volume
number, reporter abbreviation, a page number, the court, and the decision year. Speakers may leave out
some of these elements of the citation. Format whatever is said to the best of your ability.
Federal Abbreviations Regional Abbreviations
United States US Atlantic A., A.2d, A.3d

Supreme Court S.Ct. North Eastern N.E., N.E.2d
Federal F., F.2d, F.3d North Western N.W., N.W.2d
Federal Supplement F.Supp., F.Supp.2d Pacific P., P.2d, P.3d
South Eastern S.E., S.E.2d
Southern So., So.2d, So.3d
Said: Judge, I'd like to reference a case very similar to ours. It's Johnson versus Smith at eight-thirteen
southern second nine-fifty-six, and it's a Third DCA case.
Transcribe: Judge, I'd like to reference a case very similar to ours. It's Johnson v. Smith at 813 So.2d 956, and it's
a Third DCA case.

Legal Phoenix | KY
ALWAYS search for case titles online if you encounter them in a file. You may find the case listed on legal
research websites that often provide extra helpful details such as names, locations, and relevant terminology.
ATTENTION: Please DO use the abbreviations as formatted in this guide. If you find the case listed online
and the abbreviations are formatted or spaced differently, follow our style anyway.
Tags
Tags are formatted with [brackets]. Only parentheticals should appear with (parentheses).
Use ONLY the tags listed below. Do NOT use [guess?], [silence], or any other tags.
[inaudible hh:mm:ss]
Use [inaudible hh:mm:ss] in place of speech you cannot make out due to the speaker's accent, poor audio
quality, a noise obscuring the words, or a term you couldn't figure out after researching. Do NOT use a guess tag
under any circumstances.
The Snippets tool on the WorkHub is equipped with a feature to automatically insert a timestamp. To use the
feature, create a new snippet that expands to [inaudible %ts] (see screenshot below). You can use any shortcut
you like. When the snippet expands, the current audio time will be added inside the tag.
Place the timestamp as accurately as possible. Within 2-3 seconds of the inaudible portion of audio is ideal.
A We were looking at [inaudible 00:35:22] when we first noticed the problem.
Be sure to punctuate an inaudible tag as if it were speech.
MR. FUDD I was just [inaudible 00:03:01]-- I just-- I wanted to know for sure.
MS. AMES But the weather got [inaudible 01:15:03]. We had to go home.
THE COURT [inaudible 00:57:22]?
Do not use [inaudible] if the audio cuts out entirely. Mark the last full word with a double dash and resume
transcribing when speech resumes.
Q So you were about-- sorry, I accidentally unplugged myself. Where was I?

Legal Phoenix | KY
Do not use [inaudible] if a speaker's line clearly begins in the middle of their speech. Capitalize the first clear
word you can make out. Do NOT use double dashes to start the line.
A I thought I had made it clear I wanted Greta to bake for me.

Q The cake for the wedding. How many times had she done that?
A Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn't hear your first few words.
Q Right, right. I asked how many times Greta had refused to bake a cake for your wedding.
NOTE: If the TAG notes more than just a yes or no in a problematic part of the audio and you cannot verify
what's being said, do not add in that text. Use an [inaudible] tag instead.
[phonetic]
Use [phonetic] to mark names whose spellings cannot be confirmed by any means. Use only for the first
instance in the session, immediately after the name and inside punctuation. Spell all further appearances of the
name the same way but do NOT add the [phonetic] tag.
Q Did you say the doctor's name was Dr. Hasemen [phonetic]?
A I did. Dr. Hasemen was my PCP for many years.
[coughs] and Other Sounds

If a sound or interruption is NOT acknowledged, then no tag is necessary. If a noise is acknowledged, then use
ONLY the following tags where the sound occurred to put the acknowledgement in context: [coughs],
[sneezes], or [phone rings]. If a speaker burps or clears their throat and it's acknowledged, [coughs] may be
used to mark it.
Q Where were you [sneezes]--

THE COURT REPORTER Bless you.
MR. JONES Thank you.
Q Where were you when the incident occurred?
If the court reporter didn't acknowledge the sneeze above, then the transcript would simply look like this:
Q Where were you-- where were you when the incident occurred?
If another speaker makes a sound during another speaker's turn, do NOT create a new speaker line just for the
tag. Place the tag where the sound occurred.
MR. ELLIS So we're getting into the next stage of [sneezes] my questions. Bless you, Tom.
MR. TODD Thanks, sorry.
MR. ELLIS No worries. Anyways. I think now is a good time to take a break.
A noise should be tagged even if the speaker who made it acknowledges it.
A Sometimes we would-- [coughs] excuse me. We would intentionally not record that data.

Legal Phoenix | KY
[sic]
If a speaker misuses a word and the mistake isn't clearly corrected, place the [sic] tag directly after the
incorrect word. This will indicate to a reader that the word transcribed is likely not the word that the speaker
intended or should have used. As with the [phonetic] tag, use [sic] only once to mark an incorrect word. If the
speaker continues making the error, do not mark future appearances with [sic].
MS. WERTHY As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moths [sic].
ATTENTION: Do NOT use [sic] to mark grammar errors or speech or accent quirks. Sentences like "We had
done gone a long time without it," or common made-up words like "thingy" and "guestimate" do not require a
[sic]. Simply transcribe what is said.
Do NOT keep misspelled words. If a speaker mispronounces a word in such a way that you would have to
invent a spelling that does not exist, spell it correctly as if they had not made the mistake.
Incorrect: I was taking metrapralal [sic] for my blood pressure.

Correct: I was taking metoprolol for my blood pressure.
Incorrect: She done warshed [sic] her son's laundry.

Correct: She done washed her son's laundry.
Further Examples
The witness simply drops the N from Appalachian. However, there's no such thing as The Appalachia Trail,
despite Appalachia being a real word, so this makes their statement factually inaccurate. Use the [sic] tag to
indicate this to the reader.
Q So when this happened, you and Sam were hiking The Appalachian Trail?
A Yeah. The Appalachia [sic] Trail was so beautiful that time of year.
The lawyer refers to Dayton when the witness clearly just said Daytona. These are two different places and could
obviously cause confusion as to where the witness was and when. We know the lawyer should have said
Daytona. Use the [sic] tag to mark their error.
A We moved to Daytona in April of 2022.

Q Oh, so you were in Dayton [sic] for your birthday in July?
The witness tells the lawyer that the car they saw belonged to Amy. Later, the lawyer refers to it as Terri's car.
Mark this with a [sic] tag because we know for a fact that's not the owner of this car. A person named Terri might
be mentioned at some point, but the lawyer has used the wrong name in this context.
A When I came home, Amy's car was in my driveway.

Q Right. So you said you're not used to seeing other cars in your driveway?
A Of course not. I come home at 3:00 in the morning. Who would be in my driveway?
Q So that's why you hit Terri's [sic] car? Because you didn't expect it to be there?

Legal Phoenix | KY
A speaker says something that's clearly illogical and impossible. Mark it with a [sic] tag to indicate the likely
nonsensical mistake by the speaker.
A I'll be going back home yesterday [sic]. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again.
[speaks in Language]
Use this tag sparingly to mark portions of speech that may be a mix of English and another language, or in a
situation where omitting the non-English portion would cause confusion. Replace the word Language in the tag
with the appropriate language being spoken.
Q [speaks in Spanish]? God, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting I have to let you translate.
THE INTERPRETER That's okay. For the record, Counsel just asked the witness, "Is that all?"

Legal Phoenix | KY
Revisions
20-Feb-2024 assorted reorganizations and rewordings for clarity;
changed wording of Exhibit inserts;
added example for punctuating [inaudible];
31-Mar-2024 o'clock no longer used when spoken;

added further notes to Redactions;
Depo End name changed to Depo Conclude;
10-Apr-2024 added note that parentheticals do not interrupt Q&A;

added mention of [speaks in Language] to Interpreter section;
added confirmation that formal requests are not marked;
additional details added to No Response;
added more examples to Redactions;
o'clock is no longer used;
added more examples to [inaudible] and [sic] usage;

LEE1 - Legal Phoenix KY Style Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

LEE1 - Legal Phoenix KY Style Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

LEE1 - Legal Phoenix KY Style Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Legal Phoenix | KY

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 1 of 36

KY files mainly feature depositions and hearings and trials.

Research, Research, Research

Be sure to read the Handbook for more details on sup docs.

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 2 of 36

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 3 of 36

Common Speaker Names

Court Speaker Names

Miscellaneous Speaker Names

Swearing-In of the Witness

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 4 of 36

Example Headings Table

[P]laintiff’s counsel: James Smith, Ann Reed

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 5 of 36

NOTE: Colloquy must transition to Q&A when questioning begins.

● H: Direct Examination — the first attorney questions

H: Direct Examination DIRECT EXAMINATION

THE WITNESS Yes, I'm ready.

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 6 of 36

Q Have you ever been in this law office before, Jane?

A My husband would know more about that than me.

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 7 of 36

Swearing in the Interpreter

THE COURT Please swear in the witness.

Examination through Interpreter

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 8 of 36

Q Where do you live?

Questioning an Expert Witness

Questioning Potential Jurors

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 9 of 36

E: Exhibit Marked (Exhibit NUMBER was marked for identification.)

Q I'd like to show you Exhibit 22.

MR. KHAN And this is marked as Exhibit 9.

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 10 of 36

Q Let me get these exhibits together here.

E: Exhibit Admitted (Exhibit NUMBER was admitted into evidence.)

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 11 of 36

Previously Marked Exhibits

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 12 of 36

G: Certified Question (A certified question was asked.)

Q And James wasn't your friend, was he?

G: Certified Objection (A certified objection was made.)

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 13 of 36

G: Confidential Begin (Proceedings were deemed confidential.)

G: Confidential End (Proceedings were deemed not confidential.)

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 14 of 36

G: Record Readback (Record was read back.)

G: Record Playback (Record was played back.)

Q So when you went into town, you were [inaudible 00:22:54].

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 15 of 36

Do transcribe any speech present on the recording in Colloquy format.

G: Played Audio/Video (Audio/video recording was played.)

G: Stopped Audio/Video (Audio/video recording was stopped.)

Updated 10-Apr-2024 Confidential Property of TranscribeMe! 16 of 36

G: No Response (No response.)

Q That's not what you did?

MR. KLIEN Okay, time to call the roll. Amy Prescott?