The Court Reporter's Creed

[April Thompson]

Cross-posted at bffproofreading.com

This week has been National Court Reporting and Captioning Week. The more I learn about court reporting and get to know verbatim reporters, the more impressed I am with these professionals.

The creed is from retired court reporter Bill Parsons, who graciously shared this with the court reporting world and has given me permission to post it. It documents the lengthy history and the importance of court reporters, from scribes of old to television captioners. This version has been revised to include Realtime reporters as well.

Happy Court Reporting and Captioning week to all verbatim reporters. Thank you for the critical work you do!

The Court Reporter's Creed

My profession stems from humanity's desire and its necessity to preserve the happenings of yesterday and tomorrow.

My profession was born with the rise of civilization in ancient Greece.

I was known as a scribe in Judea, Persia and the Roman Empire.

I preserved the Ten Commandments for posterity and was with King Solomon while building the temple.

I was with the founding fathers of the United States when they drafted the Declaration of Independence. My hand labored upon the scroll that set forth the Bill of Rights.

The immortal Abraham Lincoln entrusted me to record the Emancipation Proclamation.

I was commissioned to be with Roosevelt at Yalta. I was with Eisenhower on D-Day and with MacArthur at Tokyo.

I put into written language man's first landing on the moon for the world to read. I translate spoken words into written words for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

I create the instantaneous closed captions on television for all people to read.

I use my steno machine, laptop and computer-aided transcription software to provide instantaneous translation of court proceedings, enabling judges and attorneys to review testimony in real time.

I have kept confidence reposed with me by those in high places, as well as those in lowly places.

My profession protects the truthful witness, and I am a nemesis of the perjurer. I am a party to the administration of justice under the law and the court I serve.

I discharge my duties with devotion and honor. Perhaps I haven't made history, but I have preserved it through the ages.

In the past I was called a scribe. Today I am the court reporter that sits in the courts of my country. I am the reporter who is the keeper of the Congressional Record of the United States.

I am the Verbatim Court Reporter!

[April Thompson]

I totally understand, Randall. We all have moments where our frustration can't be contained. (Just ask my kids!) 

[Randall Young]

Thank you, Apri, for the kind words.  I'll take the beer, the hug and the chocolate.  I removed my comment, though, because in retrospect it adds nothing but negativity.  And that's not my desire to be remembered for.

[April Thompson]

Ah, man, Randall. That's rough. I wish I could give you a hug or buy you a beer. Or chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better. Buy some chocolate and pretend it's from me!

It sounds like you could really use a break. I hope you can find what makes you happy.