Incompetent Court Reporters Accepting Work Through CSRNation

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

One of the agencies that I know sent out a job offer to Massachusetts for a three-day job that needed covered.  This reporter, who I won't name, picked up the job.  She's had the job for over a month and not turned it in.

Finally, she turned in the first two volumes with multiple mistakes.  She still has not turned in the last transcript.  She turned in a rough because the court reporting agency had to have something to give to the attorney because he's going to trial.  The rough ASCII was literally unreadable. 

Now, I don't understand why a court reporter would take work through this website if they are so incompetent that they cannot turn the work in.  I wish there was a way I could filter all the bad apples off of here.

The agency owner called me and wanted to know if there is a way that I filter the qualified reporters from the incompetent reporters.  I told her no, I have no way to do that.  Once I hear someone has done a poor job, I ban them immediately from the website.  I'm a full-time reporter myself; there is no way for me to filter through thousands of reporters.

I'm just very frustrated about this situation.  This is not the first time it has happened either.  There must just be a lot of lousy court reporters out there I guess.  Unfortunately, it looks like it cost this agency their client.  Unbelievable. 

Reporters:  Please don't take work from this website if you can't handle the work.  You're giving my website a bad name!!

[Laurie H.]

Ummm, is this what you mean?

e PHAOEP your talking a hopping team ago.
Q    To PAEPLG six?
A    Yeah .
Q    Of the first a lot PHEPDment of lease TKPRAEPLT dated jewel # # 199 # do you he go had a to cur AEUGT STH-FPLTS right.  Was had TKOP.  TKH you cat ask questions, the question is ask you was.
A    Oh . TKH to you he go this document STH-FRPLGTS THOT really.
Q    Do you he go your AEUGT SH signature had S's question I do it that is my signature question.
Q    Does it look lying your signature SPH?

[Janet]

Tell me you're not really working on that, Laurie.

I followed a reporter on an immediate-delivery job about a year ago.  The final hadn't been turned in yet, so they sent me the rough.  It looked like your example, Laurie.  It was useless.  I don't know how anyone could have the nerve to put out crap like that and charge for it. 

That makes us ALL look bad. 

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

By any chance, did your reporter take that job on a Diamante? Pfft.

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

I've been on a Diamante for three-plus years now, and my notes sure don't look like that.  That's not the machine.  Someone just sucks.

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

I think I got a lemon, and I know others who feel the same way. :(

[Phyllis J. Stinson]

This is horrible and there is no excuse for it.  That's why I'm still an old-fashioned reporter!  Although there are situations you get into that aren't humanly possible, like a motion hearing I reported the other day.  The attorney read his motion and argument from a printed text so fast that it was literally off the scale.  I interrupted twice and he finally slowed down toward the end of his dissertation to where it was within the realm of probability and I did fine, but thank God for the audio in this instance, and something like the above post would never leave my desk.  I've been reporting for a long, long time, and whenever this happens, I always leave with a feeling that I've been "set up".  What do the rest of you do in a situation like this?  Perhaps this should be a new discussion, but. . .

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

It makes me sick to read this, Kelli.  Just curious if you know this "reporter," meaning familiar name to you or maybe have met her at a convention or some such.  Understand of course that you won't name her.   It's sickening.  

[Janet]

I'm sorry that things like this happen.  Knowing how lawyers want things immediately, that must have sent them over the edge after getting useless junk after a month.  If the rough was that rough, they won't be getting the final too soon.  There's no excuse for that. 

 

 

 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

The agency owner told me they called other agencies and asked about this reporter and everyone laughed and had a story to tell about this particular reporter.  Apparently she has quite a reputation out there.  I told the owner of the agency that, "You have to do your own due diligence.  Ask for references or a previous transcript to see what type of reporter you're dealing with.  I can't be responsible for screening thousands of people." 

She totally understood this, but wanted to tell her client there is a screening process to find reporters here.  And no, I don't know who this reporter is.  She, of course, does NOT belong to CSRnation any longer. 

Laurie, I get the impression what you have below is something close to what this reporter turned in.  Oh, and she had 32 characters per line.  Really?  We have to have 56 and she was trying to pull 32.  Amazing.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Well, I feel better about myself already.  I spent my whole life with my parents running me down (and my dad still does).  I always feel inadequate.  I have software now, and the stuff that shows up on my screen (while transcribing at home) disappoints and enlightens me.  I understand my proper names not coming out.  I have been on this software only a month - and my stuff doesn't look anything like that.  If it did, ------

[Mary Jo Cochran]

On another note, any agency that offers a reporter a job has an obligation to his client to check out the reporter's credentials before officially giving him the job (just like a job interview) .  If that agency gave work to someone here on Kelli's website, then that agency should check the reporter's profile - which should include the reporters certifications, years of reporting, agencies worked for, any special depos, etc.

 

Although I was a reporter in 1981, had my RPR and worked for ten years, when I started back four years ago, I was reserved in saying I was qualified.  I didn't want to destroy my new reputation even before I built it.

 

 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

When I started working for a new firm out of New York, I had to send in a transcript so they could see my work quality.  I also had to have a one-on-one interview with the owner before I could take even one job for them.  Agencies need to realize it's their clients and they need to be the one responsible for who shows up on their jobs.

I'm just the facilitator; the agency needs to do the due diligence.