Sometimes attorneys, especially those who haven’t taken many
depositions, get irritated when the court reporter interrupts.

A professional court reporter will interrupt an attorney or
a witness for multiple reasons, all of which are aimed at one thing – ensuring
that a clear, verbatim record is obtained. Here are a few
of the reasons:

1. Speaking too
softly. If the court reporter can’t hear it, they can’t take it down.

2. Mumbling. It’s
easy for a witness or an attorney to start talking on auto-pilot and run their
words together. Even if the subject matter is old hat to the attorneys and
witness, it might not be old hat to the reporter, who needs to hear the
terminology clearly.

3. Speaking over each
other.  Though most court reporters
seem to be miracle workers, there’s no way they can take down a verbatim record
when two or more people are speaking at the same time.

4. Speaking at the
speed of light. To pass certification tests, court reporters must be able to
accurately take down testimony at rapid speeds – over 225 words per minute.
Occasionally attorneys or witnesses speak at an even faster pace. When they do,
the reporter will interrupt and ask for everyone to slow down just a bit.

By knowing what makes a court reporter interrupt a
deposition, and taking steps to lessen the “triggers,” you can
prevent a good number of interruptions. There will be a number of witnesses who
don’t follow your directives, so if you have a court reporter who doesn’t
hesitate to interrupt the deposition, you’ll know you have a good one.
Interrupting isn’t a sign of the reporter’s incompetence; it’s a sign that you
have a court reporter that’s attentive, conscientious, and cares about
accurately capturing the record.