Ever stopped a deposition and refused to take it down??

[Erica]

As I am sitting here working on my job, a man in prison with a gunshot wound to the head who has a loss of many basic skills (math, reading) and slurs his speech, I was wondering about other reporters in this situation. Also, some of the workers' comp. doctors that are from India are, unfortunately, very hard to understand! I was wondering if anyone here has ever started a deposition and just felt that you couldn't understand the witness enough to where you had to stop it? If you did, how did you resolve the problem??

Just thought it was an interesting topic, seems how I am sure we've all had the "mouth full of marbles" witness;) lol.

[Kyung]

Haven't stopped anyone yet. But I threatened to walk out of an IME bec. the doctor was an ass.

[Judy]

Kyung,

That's was what the doctor was trying to make you do. He didn't want you there if the first place. Go toe to toe with those docs and just do the best job you can do.

Judy

[Judy]

Kelli,

Apparently it wasn't a doctor's depo, it was an IME. Yeah, they're uncomfortable b/c you're listening to private matters inside of a doctor's office and possibly have a half-naked person walking and doing squats around your machine, but you're there to do one thing: Keep the doctor honest re his final report. The doctor does not want a monitor there, and that's you, you're the monitor. They're not difficult, just a PITA. Walking out because he's being an ass is not the right thing to do in that situation, sorry. The only thing that's going to do is get the ordering firm to outsource the job to probably a person with a tape recorder who pretends to take notes at the same time. While being outsourced on something as simple as an IME is not that big of a deal, it is the beginning of being outsourced on other matters as well. While all three of us live in California, maybe it doesn't matter so much afa depos go, but it certainly does matter in states where attorneys have the option of hiring either a live reporter or plopping a recorder on the table and hitting On and then having his secretary transcribe the tape. I for one don't want to see that happen in California. Will it happen eventually if we're all prima donnas and they don't have anybody to cover that silly IME or can't find a qualified reporter for that doctor's depo b/c doctors are notorious for being a$$munchers? Yeah, sooner or later it will. I'm all for controlling the proceedings. I'm also all for reporters knowing their skill level and turning down jobs that are out of their comfort zone. But to walk out of an IME? That's just screaming... r-e-p-l-a-c-e m-e!

Just my .02.

Judy

[Patricia Babits]

I haven't. I almost had to with a Middle Eastern deponent. I was thinking of asking for a break and telling the attorney I couldn't do it without an interpreter. I made it through, although I was asking him to repeat almost every answer. He kept apologizing for his accent and was really nice. It was videotaped, too.

If I felt I really wasn't getting it, I'd ask for a break and talk to the noticing attorney and tell him I just couldn't understand the witness well enough to make a good record.

The reporter who gave me my start did walk out on a depo, but it wasn't because the witness was hard to understand. The attorneys were acting like asses, yelling and interrupting, and he said, "Let me know when you're ready to make a record." He left the room. This was very late in his career.

[Judy]

Never walked out, but as they were threatening to let the interpreter go b/c the Korean doc kept trying to answer in English, I did tell them them that if the interpreter leaves, so do I.

And I've had the same scenario as Patricia, a videotaped doc's depo (from India, I think), me interrupting every answer. The audio was a joke. It was more me asking for clarification and the doc's attorney explaining the answer than anything else.

I did tell one opposing counsel (who thought I needed to stay until she was d-o-n-e) that I shut down at page 300 and that was it. Needless to say, we didn't get along. I had a 9a-10p depo once and learned the hard way that you need to have your limits and stick to them. After that 9a-10p depo, my hands were literally bruised, which kept me from working for a time.

But I do love that line, "Let me know when you're ready to make a record." That's priceless. Most of my depos are pretty civil, but I'll keep that one in the back of my brain.

Judy

[Debra Guthrie]

I did have to do that as well with a guy who had been hit by a train. I just asked to go off the record and talked to the attorney and told him that I was just going to have to put in a bunch of inaudibles because I couldn't understand the man. He understood and we discontinued the depo. He couldn't understand him either. It was sad. You can only do what you can do. We are not wonder woman. And as far as the foreign doctors, I just tell them, I have no idea what you just said, can you say it slower.

[Erica]

I really appreciate everyone's input. Even though I've been working for a year, there's stuff you don't really think about until it comes up. These are all very good and I will keep it in mind! Thanks!

[Rhoda Collins]

I have troubles with inmates at parole boards. SInce I use the amplifier thing from Radio Shack now it TOTALLY helps!!! Very rarely do I not 'hear'....now accents and such would be harder but I still love the amplifier!
Rho

[Shannon Wise]

Rhoda,
how does that amplifier work? Does it also help your recording, or is it just for your ears only?

[Rhoda Collins]

I heard about it on the Compuserve CR forum......I got the step down from this tho and it works perfect. They didn't have the $34.99 one when I went. Also, you can just use your earphones and skip the headphones if needed. I use my own earphones. Use the splitters to connect to your laptop and use for Audio Sync.

I used the extension cord at Parole Boards as we are video now and the TV is about 10ft away! I could not do them w/out this amp now, lol.
Rho


1. Amplified Stereo Listener,
Part #33-1097------------------------------------------$34.99
2. Audio Extension cord,
Part #42-2493 ------------------------------------------$12.99
3. Lightweight Stereo Headphones
with 16 foot cord (I use my earphones instead..)
Part #33-1162 -----------------------------------------$15.99
4. 4-pack of 1.5v
Alkaline Enercell AAA batteries
Part #23-877 --------------------------------------------$ 3.99
Total cost of system: ------------------------------ $67.96
TO USE WITH AUDIO SYNC:
5. Y-Cable Adapter
Part #42-2496 5.99
6. Headphone cable Y adapter
Part #42-2570 6.99
The Pocket Battery Tester sells for $6.99. I got one of these also.
some here have asked how to deal with it being too loud. I use a set of headphones I got from Radio Shack (maybe 20, 25 bucks) that has it own volume control, so I can turn it down or up quickly whenever needed. I have a splitter plugged into my microphone jack on my Dell, with the Dell mic volume setting on fairly low, maybe the second bar. My headphones are plugged in one jack of the splitter, and the amplifier is atttached to the other one with a cord that has two "male" ends. It works great for both my ears and the AudioSync.
FWIW, I have seen the amplified listener used when connected to a microphone port; but you have to set the recording and playback volume controls for input from that port to be very, very, very low, and remove all "boost" settings, otherwise, as you say, you would get nothing but feedback. Put the Microphone volume to the 2nd notch, or it will blow your ears out!!!

[Shannon Wise]

Rho,
where did you purchase these items with the part numbers?

[Rhoda Collins]

Radio Shack