Transcript question

[Kathleen Gordon]

Any thoughts on how to put in transcript when the witness says I was a firefighter "slash" paramedic and then the attorney says when you were a "slash" paramedic...?

I want to put firefighter/paramedic, but then /paramedic just looks so odd.

 

Thanks!

[Mary Jo Cochran]

What you really need to know is the rule, "keep it simple and keep it real."  Transcripts are not books or scripted manuals.  People do not speak in a scripted form.  Working as a legal assistant and doing twenty-page motions for summary judgments, I made my documents look as perfect as I could.  I do my transcripts, and many times I can't believe the difference.  What you really need to know is the rule, "keep it simple and keep it real." 

 

In this situation, did the attorney actually say the word SLASH?  Is that the first wording the attorney said?  A:  I was a firefighter/paramedic.  Q: [slash] paramedic?  I would use this form because SLASH is the beginning of a new sentence.

[Kathleen Gordon]

The attorney said the word "slash."  Q:   When you were a "slash" paramedic... is what the attorney said.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Use the same concept rule you use for dashes.

Q:  Did you see the --

A: I wasn't looking at the --

Q:  -- cat as you were running over it.

A.  -- cat moved just too fast.

Use the same concept with your slashes.

Q:  I was a firefighter/paramedic.

A: /paramedic.

Because we are dealing with punctuation (and not words), we use the punctuation.

[Kathleen Gordon]

Thanks, Mary Jo.  That's how I wanted to do it.  It makes perfect sense when you  said you are dealing with punctuation to use punctuation!!!!

[Mary Jo Cochran]

If you didn't turn that in yet, you could also do:

A:  -- /paramedic.  (get the dashes in there to show he didn't start out with a complete sentence.

[Kathleen Gordon]

Hi Mary Jo,

 

     He did start out with a complete sentence.

     Q.  When you were a /paramedic....

      I went with putting it as /paramedic.

      Thanks again for your help.