Address SERVICE Requested

Candace H. Reed, CSR, CCR, CRIPrince Institute of Professional Studies7735 Atlanta HighwayMontgomery, AL36117

Presrt StdU.S.Postage

PAIDPermit #590

Montgomery, AL

Interested in Advertising with Us?Full Page

$75.00 each issue OR $250.00 - 4 issuesHalf Page

$50.00 each issue OR $150.00 - 4 issues1/4 Page

$30.00 each issue OR $75.00 - 4 issuesSend camera ready advertisement and check to:

Candace Reed, CSR, CCR, CRIPrince Institute of Professional Studies

7735 Atlanta HighwayMontgomery, AL 36117

courtreporter@princeinstitute.edu

FOR THE RECORD is published by the Alabama CourtReporters Association on a regular basis four times a year.

Publication Schedule for 2004/2005December 1, 2004March 1, 2005June 1, 2005September 1, 2005

Deadline for articles and ads is 30 days immediately precedingthe above publication dates. Please submit articles, ads, etc. inDIGITAL FORMAT attached to an email to:Candace Reed, courtreporter@princeinstitute.edu

MOVING?Mail or Email To:Candace Reed, CSR, CCR, CRI7735 Atlanta HighwayMontgomery, AL 36117 courtreporter@princeinstitute.edu

THERECORDNEVERFORGETS

President’s PerspectiveServing as Presidentof YOUR ACRA is trulyan honor and aprivilege.

I am inspired by the work,dedication, and profes-sionalism of those ACRAm e m b e r s w h o h a v e

served as president before me.As a way of allowing you to become

better acquainted with me, I would like toshare with you just a little bit about myself.My life has been varied and rewarding. Ihave two shorthand methods: Gregg short-hand and a hybrid Stenograph/StenEdmachine shorthand. My pre-court report-ing resume lists Birmingham P.D. stenog-rapher, certified legal secretary, executivesecretary, Avon lady, and church choirdirector. My most important resume list-ings, however, are wife and mother. I havebeen married to my husband for 31 yearsand we have two daughters, Evelyn andKatherine and two “sons” in their hus-bands. Jim excelled as “husband mostexcellent” in the support and assistance hegave me in my convention chairpersonduties this past year.

As our children’s college years wereon the horizon, I trained for the courtreporting profession, the profession thathad been suggested to me during my earli-er years with the Birmingham P.D. Aftermy graduation from Prince Institute, Iworked several months as a freelancereporter with Steve Edmondson inBirmingham before being hired by theState of Alabama as a special rovingreporter. Soon after starting with the State,I was hired by Circuit Judge MikeMcCormick. January 2005 will mark eightyears I have worked as his official reporter.I love being a court reporter and cannotimagine working in any other profession,for no other job could be as exciting,rewarding, or fulfilling.

As the 2004 ACRA Convent ionChairperson, I t i t led the SummerConvention “Moving Towards the Future –Professionalism, the Most Important Key.”“Moving” indicates change, action, not

standing still. “Towards” indicates there issomething in front of us -- a goal to beachieved. And “the Future” implies nolooking back except to learn from andavoid repeating past mistakes and also sug-gests we should profit from our past suc-cesses, utilize, and improve upon them.“Professionalism” attests to not just doinga job, but being confident in our knowl-edge and experience as we actively main-tain polished skills and remain abreast ofnew developments within our profession.In my opinion, the “Key” to success forYOUR Alabama Cour t Repor tersAssociation is Moving towards the futureas professionals!

Our court report ing professioninvolves a community of similarly educat-ed and trained people, even though we arediversely employed. Professional integrityrequires continuing education and dedica-tion. We should be proud of the connectionwe have that unites us in this community ofcourt reporting professionals. I encourageeach of you to take ownership of YOURAlabama Court Reporters Association.Please consider giving back to YOURACRA with a few hours of your time in thework of at least one of its committees.Without you, work will go undone, goalswill not be reached, and opportunities willbe missed. I urge you to take pride in your-self as a court reporter and as a member ofA C R A , w i t h p r i d e s t a n d i n g f o rProfessionalism, Respect (that youdeserve), Integrity (that you earn),Dependability and Dedication (that youexhibit), and Enthusiasm (for giving backto your community).

In this FTR issue you will find a list-ing of ACRA committees. After you havemarked which committee you would liketo serve on and give back to YOUR associ-ation, tear out that page and mail it to me at801 Richard Arrington Boulevard, Room605 – Criminal Justice Center,Birmingham, AL 35203 or e-mail me atSFrazier1031@aol.com. I’ll be watchingfor your sign-up sheet and thank you inadvance for the part you will play in mov-ing YOUR ACRA towards the future.

www.alcra.org

FOR THE RECORDTHE RECORD NEVER FORGETS

A Publication of the Alabama Court Reporters Association Volume 21, No. 5 Summer 2004

Suzanne Frazier

Suzanne Frazier

ACRA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2004-2005 PRESIDENT

Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR801 North Richard Arrington Boulevard

Criminal Justice Center – Room 605Birmingham, AL 35203

Office: 205-325-5951 • Home: 205-631-2188E-Mail: SFrazier1031@aol.com

PRESIDENT-ELECTAlan Peacock, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC

1960 Old Government StreetMobile, AL 36606

Office/Home: 251-476-6327E-Mail: Peacock43@Comcast.net

VICE PRESIDENTRandall E. Murphree, CSR

801 North Richard Arrington BoulevardCriminal Justice Center – Room 406

Birmingham, AL 35203Office: 205-325-4867 • Home: 205-274-7249

E-Mail: murph1@aol.com

TREASURERJulia S. Isenhower, CSR, RPR

26626 Dean Court SouthDaphne, AL 36526

Office/Home: 251-626-8062E-Mail: juliaisenhower@aol.com

SECRETARYDiana L. Battles, CSR, RPR

25 West 11th Street, Suite 340Anniston, AL 36201

Office: 256-231-1823 • Home: 256-782-0705E-Mail: dlbattles@hotmail.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTand MEMBERSHIP RETENTION

Karen Brock Reagan, CSROne Commerce Street, Suite 302

Montgomery, AL 36104Office: 334-262-7556 • Home: 334-215-3114

E-Mail: karenreagan@charter.net

DIRECTORS

DISTRICT 1Kathryn L. Hicks, CSR, RPR

801 North Richard Arrington BoulevardCriminal Justice Center – Room 509

Birmingham, AL 35203Office: 205-325-5935 • Home: 205-425-6798

E-Mail: langhicks@yahoo.com

DISTRICT 2Angie L. Coleman, CSR, RPR25 West 11th Street, Suite 326

Anniston, AL 36201Office: 256-231-1796 • Home: 256-835-6803

Fax: 256-231-1797E-Mail: acoleman67@hotmail.com

DISTRICT 3Andrea Martin, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR

Houston County Court House114 North Oates

Dothan, AL 36301Office: 334-677-4891

E-Mail: ilovedigitalcat@aol.com

DISTRICT 4Kathryn W. Sharpe, CSR

Post Office Box 846Andalusia, AL 36420

Office: 334-428-2504 • Home: 334-388-2521E-Mail: covcourt@andycable.com.

To all ACRA Members:

Please take a few minutes and update your contact information.You can do this via the website, www.alcra.org, or by simplynotifying us at alcra@comcast.netOccassionally we send out important information in massemails to our Membership. We want to make sure that you arekept up to date on the latest news and information affectingACRA and your membership. If we do not have your correctemail in our database, then you may not get the informationyou need to know. So please keep your contact information upto date.

2 15

ALABAMA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATIONFounded 1908

APPLICATION FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP

Date: __________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address (where you would like to receive ACRA mailings)

Street: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________________ State: ________ Zip Code:___________________

Telephone: (W) (______) ___________________________________ (H) (_______) ___________________________________

E-Mail: __________________________________________________ Fax: (______) __________________________________

Type of membership I am applying for: Certified [ ] General [ ] Associate [ ] Student [ ]

1. If applying for Certified Membership, are you an: RDR [ ] RMR [ ] RPR [ ] CRR [ ] CSR [ ]CBC [ ] CCP [ ] CRI [ ]

(If you are applying for Certified Membership, you must attach a current copy of each certificate.)

2. Have you ever been a member of ACRA? Yes [ ] No [ ] 3. Are you currently a member of NCRA? Yes [ ] No [ ]

4. What is your method of shorthand? _________________________________________________________________________

5. Are you currently a student? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, what school? _________________________________________

6. Are you on computer? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, what CAT system?__________________________________________

If you are applying for Associate or Student membership, it is not necessary to complete the remainder of the form. Justsign the designated space and return application with payment.

7. Do you offer video services? Yes [ ] No [ ] 8. Are you CLVS certified? Yes [ ] No [ ]

9. Do you offer real-time services? Yes [ ] No [ ] 10. Are you a notary public? Yes [ ] No [ ]

11. Are you: Freelance [ ] Official [ ] Captioner [ ] CART Provider [ ] Instructor [ ]

If Freelance/Captioner/CART Provider/Instructor, what company or school? _______________________________________

If Official, what court? _________________________________________ Are you available to freelance? Yes [ ] No [ ]

12. Do you hold a degree? Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes, which degree? ___________________________________________

13. Which reporting school did you attend? __________________________________________________

I hereby apply for membership in the Alabama Court Reporters Association and enclose $75 as my annual Certified, General, or Associatemembership dues, or $15 as my annual Student membership dues, if application is accepted. By signing this Application for Membership, I herebyagree to adhere to Alabama Court Reporters Association’s Constitution and Bylaws and National Court Reporters Association’s Code ofProfessional Ethics.

Signature of Applicant __________________________________________________________________

Any person applying as a new member of this Association shall secure the endorsement of one Certified or General Member in good standing.

Signature of Endorsing Member ____________________________________________________________

I would like to contribute to the Voluntary Legislative Fund. I enclose $10 ______ $25 ______ $50 ______ Other ______

Mail Application and fee to: Randall E, Murphree, CSRMembership Chair Apply online: www.alcra.org801 North Richard Arrington BoulevardCriminal Justice Center – Room 406Birmingham, AL 35203

Reagan Reporters has turned reporting into a powerful resource. In-house video conferencing, Video-to-text synchronization, CLVS Certified Videographers, Transcript delivery on demand,Realtime transcription, Exhibit organization and management.

ONE COMMERCE STREET, STE. 302 • MONTGOMERY, AL 36104 • 334-262-7556205-326-6070 (BIRMINGHAM) • 888-662-7556 (TOLL FREE)

IF YOUWANT TOCRACK THECASE,USEPOWERTOOLS.

Information Access. Personal Response. THE NEWPOWER OF REPORTING.

Certified Legal Video Specialists and ACRA

To: Members of the Alabama Court Reporters Association

I have been in discussion with members of your board of directors, asking themto start a Legal Video (CLVS) committee within the ACRA. This committee willseek to raise the awareness of the role of the CLVS among Alabama’s legalcommunity and provide educational and networking opportunities for the CLVSand reporters. I encourage your support in this effort.As most of you know, a large part of a legal videographer’s business comesthrough referrals from court reporters. Currently in the state of Alabama there isno law requiring a certified court reporter or certified videographer to documentcourt proceedings. We need to change that. I would like to develop and proposelegislation that will require Certified Court Reporters as well as Certified LegalVideographers to be present.As a NCRA trained Certified Legal Video Specialist, I was taught and believe courtreporters are the key to an accurate record. There are some organizations“certifying” videographers through mail order. This significantly devalues ourCLVS training and certification, setting a dangerous precedence. Most of youhave heard about or experienced the horrors of untrained and unqualifiedvideographers. As the state’s professional organization for court reporting, it isour responsibility to demand and uphold the professionalism in our field. Thebest way to accomplish this is through a mandatory training and certificationprogram.I have made efforts to organize the thirteen of us in Alabama who are NCRACertified Legal Video Specialists. We have all received the training and proven ourskills through both written and practical examinations. And, as NCRA CertifiedVideographers, we are committed to strict adherence to the CLVS ProfessionalCode of Ethics. We have all made a large investment (both in time and money) toensure we are properly trained and equipped. Unfortunately, many courtreporters in Alabama hire, recommend, and refer untrained, non-certifiedvideographers. Our profession deserves better.I believe the appropriate action is an awareness program within the framework ofthe ACRA. Please feel free to contact me with your comments. Email is the bestway. You can reach me at john.Kilpatrick@legal-imaging.net.Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you soon.Sincerely,

John F. Kilpatrick, CLVS

14 3

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONYES, I’M

INTERESTED

MEMBERSHIPRandall Murpheemurph1@aol.com

MEMBERSHIP RETENTIONKaren Reagankarenreagan@charter.net

CERTIFICATIONShannon Ballbamaball@hiwaay.net

PUBLICATIONCandace Reedcourtreporter@princeinstitute.edu

WAYS AND MEANSSheree Catershereewcater@aol.com

2005 CONVENTIONSAlan Peacockpeacock43@comcast.net

CONVENTION PLANNINGDeanna Johnsondeannarpr@comcast.net

NOMINATIONSParian HolderfieldparianRMR@aol.com

LEGISLATIONParian HolderfieldparianRMR@aol.com

DISTINGUISHEDSERVICE AWARD

Suzanne Fraziersfrazier1031@aol.com

PRO BONOTiffany Beasleytiffanybeasley@knology.net

CONSTITUTIONAND BYLAWS

Debby Garrettdebbyjrpr@aol.com

SCHOLARSHIPJoyce Sasserwom678@aol.com

AUDITINGCeleste Riddlecriddle@scottsboro.org

PUBLIC RELATIONSMargaret Turnermcaturner@comcast.net

WEBSITEAlan Peacockpeacock43@comcast.net

STUDENT MENTORINGAshley Youngmerit260@msn.com

HISTORIC PRESERVATIONDebby Garrettdebbyjrpr@aol.com

JOIN A 2004-2005 COMMITTEE TODAYwith the

ALABAMA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATION

Ask not what your ACRA can do for you! Ask yourself what YOU can do for your ACRA andyour court reporting profession! Join your fellow reporters in accomplishing rewarding tasks foryour future as a court reporter. Indicate below which committee or committees you would love toassist with and turn your form in to the registration desk. You will be amazed at the satisfaction youcan and will receive from sharing your time and talents in furtherance of the purposes of theAlabama Court Reporters Association.

From the desk ofthe President-ElectAlan Peacock

As your new president-elect, I would first like tosay thank you forgiving me the honor of

continuing to serveon your Board ofDirectors.

Please feel comfortable in con-tacting me, or any Board member, if youhave any needs, problems, concerns on anymatters that relate to ACRA. I feel proud toserve on this Board with such professional,dedicated, and caring individuals.

I would like to extend a heart-felt“thank you” and “congratulations” toSuzanne Frazier, CSR, RPR, for planning awonderful and memorable ACRA SummerConvention. A lot of work is involvedbehind the scenes when putting a conven-tion together, and Suzanne’s impeccableorganizational skills really paid off. Theseminars were educational and fun toattend. A special “thank you” is alsoextended to Jim Frazier, Suzanne’s hus-band and official right-hand man, for thecountless hours of work and assistance heput into helping the convention become asuccess. You both did a wonderful job!

I particularly enjoyed John Croyle’smoving and inspirational presentation.

John spoke of his past, present, and futureand of his work at The Big Oak Ranch, ahome for kids that have been orphaned,physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiri-tually. If any of you thought you missedyour opportunity to help with this worth-while cause, you will be happy to know thatyou still can help. Donations are alwayswelcomed. A pledge card should be in thisissue of “For the Record.” If you would liketo send a donation directly, the address: BigOak Ranch, Post Off ice Box 507,Springville, AL 35146.

So now that our summer convention isbehind us, the torch has been passed and itis now my job to plan our next two conven-tions. Please mark your calendar for thefollowing dates:

January 14-15, 2005ACRA Midyear Convention.The Legends at Prattville,Prattville, AL

July 28-31, 2005ACRA Summer Convention.Park Vista Hotel,Gatlinburg, TN

ACRA has increased its membershipby over 25% in the past couple of months.Since we have so many new members andnew CSR’s, I thought I would remind youthat you have to attain 1.5 CE credits toretain your CSR status. The ACRA Midyear

and Annual conventions are a great place tostart! Prattville is located in the center of thestate and should be convenient for all mem-bers to attend.

Heidi Thomas, RMR, CRR, CBC, willbe at our ACRA Midyear Convention andwill hold a one-day realtime seminar. Youwill need to bring your machines and yourlaptops and get ready for some great writingtips from the pros! Even if you do not planto become a realtime writer, you can stillbenefit from this seminar. Many realtimeseminars cost $500 or more just for registra-tion. This full-day seminar is included aspart of your ACRA convention registration.You can’t beat that! So I would really like tosee every single member, machines in tow,at the 2005 convention!

And I’ll have details on the ACRASummer Convention in future issues ofFTR. Gatlinburg is the perfect summer get-away for individuals and families. The CityAquarium is worth the trip alone. There arethree wineries located near by. In fact, I amapplying to NCRA to get CE points for awinery excursion for ACRA members thatvisit Gatlinburg. More details to come infuture FTR issues so stay tuned!

I hope everyone has a successful andprofitable Fall season. I will look forward tospeaking to you again soon. Until nexttime...

~ All gifts are tax deductible ~

❑ YES! I would like to make a difference in the lives of the children at Big Oak Ranch. Please accept the enclosed contribution of $__________ to be used in the area of most need.

❑ YES! I would like to speak to the Finance Manager about the possibility of establishing a planned giving arrangement.

Name ________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________ State ____________________ Zip __________________

Phone (hm) ____________________________ Phone (wk) _____________________________

Thank you for making a difference in the life of a child!Please send the completed form to:

Big Oak RanchPost Office Box 507

Springville, AL 35146

DONATION FORM

Please contact the chairperson of the committee you choose to serve at their e-mail address or mailyour completed form to: Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR/801 North Richard ArringtonBoulevard, Criminal Justice Center Room 605, Birmingham, AL 35203

4 13

How Would You Like More Business?

Then join thousands of other businesses on the Information Superhighwayby advertising on ACRA’s website.

We are linked to all major search engines so that your company will be noticed!

For more information, go online: www.alcra.org

• Statewide referrals via our “Find A Reporter” page! • Online Business Card setup is free! • List your business in five counties for one low rate! • Automatic links to your website! • Banner ads available

Your support of ACRA helps us fight for your future!

Would you like your own web page but don’t know where to start? Let us do the work for you. It’s never been easier and there’s never been a better time to be on the Web!

ACT NOW! The first ads received will receive priority placement oneach page!

Hello From BirminghamAnd District One!By Kathryn L. Hicks, CSR, RPR

Surprising, Educational, Fun, andMotivating. Those are just a few ofthe words I could use to describe theAlabama Court ReportersAssociation 2004 SummerConvention in Stone Mountain,Georgia, this past July.

The convention wasSURPRISING tome, in that it sur-passed my expecta-tions. It had beenseveral years since Iattended an ACRAsummer conven-tion. Even though Ihave been a 17-year

member of ACRA, due to workrequirements as an official courtreporter who roves between court-rooms, I was never able to attend thesummer conventions on a regularbasis. Until recently, I usually man-aged to obtain my continuing educa-tion points by attending conventions inother states during less busy times inour circuit here in Birmingham.

So with the experience of attend-ing out-of-state conventions in theback of my head, I was pleasantly sur-prised at the caliber and professional-ism of our own Alabama summer con-vention. Our president, Suzanne B.Frazier, put together a fantastic pro-gram for the convention. Even courtreporters who attended from otherparts of the country commented onhow great the convention was. It mademe so proud to be a part of the“ A l a b a m a ” C o u r t R e p o r t e r sAssociation.

This convent ion was EDU-

CATIONAL, which should normallygo without saying when you attend anykind of work-related conference. But,again, after reporting for 17 years andhaving attended various seminars overthe years, it’s easy to get cynical aboutsession topics such as “RelievingStress” and “Dealing with DifficultPeople.” I'm not saying that learninghow to relieve stress and learning howto deal with difficult people aren’t valu-able topics, but they can be overdone.

At this particular convention welearned important “life lessons,” every-thing from the correct handshake tech-nique during introductions to even deal-ing with bioterrorism. We also learnedpractical lessons such as maintenanceand care of steno machines, as well asawesome new websites and softwareresources for instant referencing so thatyou don’t spend 30 minutes trying tofind the right spelling for an obscurerestaurant in Juneau, Alaska.

The convention was FUN for tworeasons: It was such a joy to see courtreporters I hadn’t seen in the past fewyears, and there were plenty of activi-ties for folks like me who brought fam-ily members with them. It was almostlike a family reunion, getting to catchup on where everyone was workingnow and how much their children hadgrown, not to mention meeting new,fresh-faced reporters and students justgetting started in the profession.

The location for the convention, theMarr iot t Evergreen Resort andConference Center at Stone Mountain,Georgia, was perfect for families andsingles. Not only was the food terrific,but they offered a whole selection ofspecial spa treatments, facials, mani-cures, and pedicures. And everyoneenjoyed taking the sky lifts up to themountain, riding the train around

the park, and watching the fabulouslaser show at night.

Finally, the ACRA summer conven-tion was MOTIVATING. This conven-tion gave me the kick in the pants Ineeded to wake up from simply watch-ing our Association from the sidelines.Over the years I had jumped in and got-ten involved briefly with ACRA and/orAOC when single issues popped up thatdirectly impacted my little world, issuessuch as time standards, page rates, andpage formatting. And I suspect thatthere are many court reporters out theresuch as myself who have watched fromthe sidelines and perhaps jumped inwhenever an issue directly affectedthem.

I’ve definitely been motivated nowto do more than just watch from theperiphery of my tiny planet. I’ve finallyrealized that it’s not enough to just jumpin when a single issue affects you. And,goodness, it hurts to exercise that com-placency muscle that we all have, but ithurts more to realize that you’ve beenmissing out on all the Association has tooffer.

As a result of jumping in and partic-ipating with our Association this year,I’ve realized that we all have somethingto give, even if it is simply signing upfor an ACRA committee that interestsyou. And now that many of you havejoined ACRA and applied for CSR sta-tus, which will require obtaining con-tinuing education points, I urge you tosign up and attend the ACRA Mid-Winter Conference in January 2005 atThe Legends in Prattville, Alabama,and the ACRA Summer Convention inJuly 2005 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.Each of these conferences will surelygive you something that is SURPRIS-I N G , E D U C AT I O N A L , F U N ,and MOTIVATING.

Kathy Hicks,District 1 Director

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S C I N D Y G R E E N E

Cindy Greene will be taking a cruise thanks to a lucky ticket!

Cindy’s ticket was the winning raffle ticket in the 2004 ACRASummer Cruise Raffle awarded at the Summer Convention this pastweekend at the Evergreen Conference Resort in Stone Mountain.

Cindy and her husband will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniver-sary on September 1. When Cindy recovers from her elation at find-ing out she was the WINNER, she and hubby will start making secondhoneymoon plans courtesy of her winning ticket.

Have a great time, Cindy, and don’t forget to send us a postcard!

ACRA Board MeetingThe ACRA Board of Directors

will hold its Fall 2004 quarterly meetingSaturday, October 2

at 10:00 a.m.at the offices of

Dunn, King & Associates431 South Court StreetMontgomery, Alabama

334-263-0261

12 5

DUNN, KING & ASSOCIATES, L.L.C.REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL REPORTERS

Pat Higgins, CSR, RPR, Firm OwnerJenny Dunn, CSR, RDR, CRRDee Johnson, RPRGreta Duckett, CSR, RPRAmanda Berkstresser, Graduate of Prince InstituteDawn Ashcraft, Graduate of Prince InstituteCara Swint, Graduate of Prince InstituteWendy Lewis, Graduate of Prince Institute

COURT REPORTERS OFFERING:

• Quick turnaround • Daily copy • Realtime • Videographer

• Online transcript repository

• E-transcripts printable in condensed format and viewable with hyperlinked word index

• ASCII disks • Compressed, duplexed and timestamped transcripts

• Case file management • Detailed exhibit handling & cross-referenced indexing

• Schedule proceedings online at www.dunnking.com

431 South Court Street • Montgomery, Alabama 36104

(800) 359-8001 or (334) 263-0261• Fax: (334) 263-1243email: admin@dunnking.com

MEETING AND EXCEEDING STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1982

Other CEU Opportunities and Links10/6/04 & 10/7/04: United StatesCourt Reporters AssociationAnnual Convention (for moreinformation visit www.uscra.org)

10/23/04: Georgia ShorthandReporters Association FallSeminar, Savannah, GA (for moreinformation visit www.gsra.com)

1/14/05 and 1/15/05: ACRAMidyear Convention, TheLegends, Prattville, AL (for moreinformation visit www.alcra.org)

BIRMINGHAM, ALDavid MillerYvonne PopeTim LoveladyTerry CrutchfieldMelinda ThornburyPaige ScottMike JarvisKrista PriceCheryl BrownDebbie TownsendStephanie BurtonMelanie PetixSherry TudorJodi DuBoseTara SeayPamela GrooverSusan Alston McLaneBridget McClainDiana WilliamsMary Claire WhittenDoreen CaseJessica Bell

MOBILE, ALDeborah PaytonSue Anne Casey

MONTGOMERY, ALMichelle CallahanMelissa LeeWendy TimbieSelah DryerTasha ScottApril Bendinger

NORTH ALABAMALori SizemoreSuzanne Spiers

WEST ALABAMAMargo Nettles Bryan

DOTHAN, ALMisty Whitworth

Video SpecialistChristi Maze, CLVS

Director of MarketingSusie Nobles

Office ManagerKathy Carpenter

Administrative AssistantKatie Bates

Director of TechnologyShannon Whitt

Your Locally Owned Statewide Firm★★★★★

★★

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Computer-aided transcripts

Transcript conversions

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Electronic Transcript Delivery

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Daily Copy

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Video Conferencing

Video Transcript Synchronization

Digital Videography

Prompt delivery

On-site conference rooms

Visit Our Web Site at www.americancourtreporting.com

P. O. Box 12765 • Birmingham, Alabama 35202 • (205) 320-1050 • Fax (205) 320-0023 • (877) 320-1050

Presentation OfThe DSA Awardby Mary Frances Giattina, CSR, RDR, RPR.

Good evening, everyone.Beforepresenting the DSAAward tonight, I’d like to read toyou from the Constitution andBylaws a description of thepurpose of this award.

“The purpose of the ACRA Award forDistinguished Service to the profession isto encourage and to recognize workamounting to distinguished service byindividual members in good standing ofthe Alabama Court Reporters Associationfor the benefit of the reporting profession.That may include work as a member, com-mittee member, director, or officer of theAssociation, for the ACRA newsletter, orin the field of public affairs or public relations.

“The Committee shall be composed ofthe immediate past recipient of this award,the Association President, and ImmediatePast President. The Association Presidents h a l l b e t h e c h a i r p e r s o n o f t h eCommittee.”

The recipient of this year’s DSAAward is someone that some of you maynot be familiar with because she has beenthe kind of dedicated reporter who hasserved our profession behind the scenes invarious capacities. When asked to performa service for ACRA, she has neverdeclined.

She has been, until the last few years,a regular attendee at our conventions. Herstruggle with the debilitating effects ofmultiple sclerosis has in the past few yearsprevented her from joining us at our annu-al conventions, and her attempts at traveland poor accommodation in spite of the

advances of the ADA have made it nearlyimpossible for her to stay overnight in ahotel.

In recent e-mails back and forthbetween Suzanne Frazier and our recipient,encouraging her to come here, the true spir-it of the DSA Award was conveyed. And atthe risk of violating her privacy, I wouldlike to read a few comments made by ourrecipient.

“I really want to come to the conven-tion. I used to go to all of them, always. Iused to never miss any of them. Even if Ihad all my points, I still went anyway. Ithink the seminars and conventions, etcetera, are a wonderful thing. My husbandalways says to me, “Why are you going?”and I always say, well, I always learn some-thing. It never fails, I always learn some-thing at each seminar or convention.

Like I’ve mentioned to you before, I’man old reporter, but I still love my job. Ihave loved my job ever since Day One, andeach day I continue to love it.

July 24th ends another year for me, andso July 25th will start my 31st year. I’veseen lots of changes and learned lots ofthings. I’m so proud to be a Court Reporter,and I always will be. It’s been a wonderfulprofession, and I’m so thankful to still be

able to work.I’m really thankful to Foshee and

Turner for letting me work. It’s nice to havesomeone believe in me and give me theopportunity to keep on working, eventhough I’m in a wheelchair now. Everyonehas been so nice to me, and for this I amtruly grateful.

All those handicapped people whocame before me really paved the way forpeople like myself and, like I said before, Iam truly grateful for that. You just don’tknow what that means when somebodybelieves in you enough to let you workunder their name and they support you andencourage you to keep going, and they stillgive you jobs.”

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasureto announce the recipient of this year’sDSA Award: Kathy B. Haynes, CSR, RPR,from Hanceville, Alabama.

As this award is being presented inabsentia, our incoming President andChairperson of the DSA Committee willtravel to Kathy’s home after the conventionand will present her a plaque and a floralarrangement with the congratulations andbest wishes of the Alabama Court ReportersAssociation.

Thank you.

PRINCE INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

2ND ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE/CAREER DAY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2004

9 A.M. – 3 P.M.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE AS A SPEAKER OR ON A PANEL,

CONTACT CANDACE REED @ 334-271-1670.

IF YOU WOULD JUST LIKE TO COME VISIT AND HAVE LUNCH,

CONTACT MAEDAY HOWELL @ 334-271-1670 FOR LUNCH RESERVATIONS.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL!

Mary Frances GiattinaMaking DSA announcement.

We would like to hear from experienced Alabama court reporters, CART providers, and captioners who arewilling to give something back to a profession that has given them so much.

Court Reporting is an exciting and challenging profession that provides a lifelong opportunity forlearning and growth. With that philosophy in mind, ACRA has established its own Student MentoringProgram, designed to support Alabama court reporting students by offering them guidance, encouragement,and support.

If you are one of those special people who would like to help the next generation of reporters reach theirgoals, then we need to hear from you.

What is required: An open mind and a giving heart... And an email account! You should be available toyour assigned student and answer e-mails promptly. If possible, meet with your student at an ACRAconvention or conference. Take your student to lunch. Send words of congratulations and words of encouragement when they need it. In other words, be a friend! You should set a professional example forstudents at all times.

With your commitment and support, you will enable a promising student to flourish and to one day join theranks of our association of professional working reporters! They are eagerly looking to us to help bridgethat gap for them.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor for ACRA, please fill out the information below and return it toAshley Young, 1912 Third Avenue South, Pell City, AL 35128, office (205) 252-9152 or you may emailyour information to Ashley at merit260@msn.com. In advance, we thank you for your consideration.

ACRA……Committed to Service!

Name:_________________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: __________ Zip Code:_______________

Telephone: (Work) (________) ________________________________________

(Home) (________) ________________________________________

(Fax) (________) ________________________________________

E-Mail: ____________________________________________________________

The Few, the Proud... the Mentors.Yes, we're looking for a few good men -- and women!

10 7

ACRA 2004 DistinguishedService Award WinnerBy Kathy Haynes

I am so honored to be the recipientof this year's Award for DistinguishedService of the Alabama CourtReporters Association.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks tothe committee members for choosing meand to all those who have made it possiblefor me to work in this, my chosen field.

A special thank you to Foshee andTurner for believing in me and continuingto give me the opportunity to do the workI love.

I've often been asked how it was Icame to be a Court Reporter. When I was16 years old I was involved in an automo-bile accident and my parents were sued. Ittook four years for the trial to come toCourt. By that time I was in College atJacksonville State, in the process of earn-ing an Advanced Secretarial Sciencedegree. During the Court proceedings I

found myself watching the Court Reporterwork and I thought how interesting his jobmust be. I kept watching him and watchinghim, not paying attention to the trial, butjust watching him. I found myself thinkingthat, hey, wouldn't that be fun, to enjoy yourwork and get paid for doing it. I thought,hey, I could do that kind of work. I lookedat him and watched his every move, thenasked someone who he was. Lo and behold,it was Roy Graham! Small world!

Meanwhile Jacksonville State was con-templating a change from Greg Shorthandto the new "machine shorthand." Theadvanced students were required to take thenew course and rate its effectiveness. Out ofeleven students I was the only one whoenjoyed the class. My teacher told me if Icould become proficient in doing shorthandI could have a future in Court Reporting. Atthat time I still really had no idea what thatwas but I knew I had seen "that man" doing"that funny little machine" in Court. We hada family reunion and who should show upbut one of my long lost cousins. His wife(who was my secretarial science advisor atJacksonville) was a relative of ours and shedidn't tell me, until she just showed up atour family reunion. She brought her hus-band, who was a Court Reporter, and shesaid, I think you need to talk to him thisafternoon because he can steer you in thedirection you need to go. She said, You'rejust like him and enjoy the same things, youneed to follow a career like his.

With the information on schools fur-nished by my teacher, I researched myoptions and picked a school in Texas Ibelieved was tops in the field. As a brand

new newlywed, I went to Texas for mystudies and graduated in 1974. I am nowentering my 31st year as a Court Reporterand STILL LOVE IT!

What a great blessing to have been ableto work in a profession I have loved. I havealways striven to be the best possiblereporter I can be. To be honored with such aprestigious award is certainly a dream real-ized and rates as one of the most wonderfuland cherished moments in my life. We haveSO MANY great reporters in our professionand I am just so happy to be a part of sucha wonderful organization with such won-derful reporters, and to be able to take myplace among those special people who havecome before me.

In closing, allow me to again thankeveryone involved in my receiving thisaward. My special thanks to Dale Tyler,who was my mentor, who is no longer withus ,and special thanks to Don Eaton for giv-ing me my first job, and to Charles Fosheeand Mickey Turner for giving me the job Ihave now, even though I have MS (MultipleSclerosis) and I have to take my jobs from awheelchair, and to all of the special attor-neys who allow me to still work and don'tallow my "handicap" to be a real handicap.For all of this and for all of you, I am trulygrateful! I also want to thank SuzanneFrazier and her husband for making such aspecial effort to drive all the way to myhome and personally present this award. Ithas been an awesome experience that I willtruly cherish the rest of my life!

Thank you so much and I love you all!

Kathy Haynes receiving DSA award

“Russ Metler of the CDCdiscussing current events and how they affect us.”

Betty Holder of Searchmaster

Patty Wood, the Body Language Expert, instructedeveryone on First Impressions and

the importance of handshacks.

“Santo J. “Joe” Aurelio helped capture EnglishGremlins and shared other punctuation insights.”

“John Croyle, Director of Big Oak Ranch, Inc., sharingon how we can all make a difference.”

Buddy Darion of Top Cat Steno, Inc.,gave TLC lessons for our steno machines.

A C R A 2 0 0 4 S U M M E R C O N V E N T I O N

8 9

Pamela Willis

2004 ACRAScholarship RecipientAttends State ConventionAs the recipient of the 2004 ACRAScholarship, I was thrilled to attend myvery first state convention which wasrecently held in Stone Mountain, GA. Icame away with so many helpful tips,valuable new briefs, great door prizes, andlots of encouragement. Each seminar wasextremely informative, interesting, and somuch fun.

For example, I’ll bet most people failto realize that it only requires 1/40 of a sec-ond to form an accurate first impression ofsomeone. Yes, I said “accurate.” That’samazing. And I had absolutely no idea howimportant body language is in portrayingthe desired initial impression to others!How many people even realize that it’spossible for someone to sum up your pro-fessional abilities according to your hand-shake alone? Are most people even awareof what constitutes a proper handshake orhow important eye contact is? Can theaverage person detect when someone islying to them simply by the movements oftheir mouth or by their choice of contrac-tions? Indeed, it is all so fascinating!

I also thoroughly enjoyed the in-depthinformation about punctuation as well ashints on a little TLC for my writer. Therewas even an entire hour devoted to“English Gremlins” or, as we like to callthem in school, “soundalikes.” It was inter-esting to note that two of the most commonerrors occur when we confuse “it’s” with“its” and “you’re” with “your.” But therewere several tips and ideas given to aid inusing the correct spelling where necessary.Word association is, indeed, a powerfultool!

In a nutshell, I’d say this was a much-needed and refreshing experience for me. Imade new friends as well as some greatbusiness contacts in the process of mylearning. I would recommend attendingone of these conferences whenever possi-ble, and I do look forward to the next one.

Thanks to the ACRA for providingsuch high-quality speakers, top-notchaccommodations, and an invaluable expe-rience for working reporters and studentsalike.

To Members of the AlabamaCourt Reporters Associationby John F. Kilpatrick, CLVS

I have been in discussion with members ofyour board of directors, asking them to starta Legal Video (CLVS) committee withinthe ACRA. This committee will seek toraise the awareness of the role of the CLVSamong Alabama’s legal community andprovide educational and networking oppor-tunities for the CLVS and reporters. Iencourage your support in this effort.

As most of you know, a large part of alegal videographer’s business comesthrough referrals from court reporters.Currently in the state of Alabama there isno law requiring a certified court reporteror certified videographer to document courtproceedings. We need to change that. Iwould like to develop and propose legisla-tion that will require Certified CourtReporters as well as Certified LegalVideographers to be present.

As a NCRA trained Certified LegalVideo Specialist, I was taught and believecourt reporters are the key to an accuraterecord. There are some organizations “cer-tifying” videographers through mail order.This significantly devalues our CLVS train-ing and certification, setting a dangerousprecedence. Most of you have heard about

or experienced the horrors of untrained andunqualified videographers. As the state’sprofessional organization for court report-ing, it is our responsibility to demand anduphold the professionalism in our field.The best way to accomplish this is througha mandatory training and certification pro-gram.

I have made efforts to organize thethirteen of us in Alabama who are NCRACertified Legal Video Specialists. We haveall received the training and proven ourskills through both written and practicalexaminations. And, as NCRA CertifiedVideographers, we are committed to strictadherence to the CLVS Professional Codeof Ethics. We have all made a large invest-ment (both in time and money) to ensurewe are properly trained and equipped.Unfortunately, many court reporters inAlabama hire, recommend, and referuntrained, non-certified videographers.Our profession deserves better.

I believe the appropriate action is anawareness program within the frameworkof the ACRA. Please feel free to contact mewith your comments. Email is the best way.You can reach me atjohn.Kilpatrick@legal-imaging.net.Thanks. I look forward to hearing from yousoon.

Alabama CSR InformationNext Exam IsOctober 2, 2004

For those ofyou who do not holdan Alabama CSR,there’s no time likethe present to start

preparing for it! You can apply to sit for theexamination either via the website (see theQuicklinks on the Main Page) or by sub-mitting your application found in this issueof “For The Record.”

Obtaining CSR status is your responsi-bility. The only way to obtain an AlabamaCSR designation at this time is throughtesting. You must complete the RPRWritten Knowledge Test offered by NCRAand also the Alabama CSR Skills Test tobecome licensed.

For your convenience, the test will beoffered in three locations throughout thestate: Gadsden, Montgomery, and Mobile.The testing date is October 2, 2004.

The Skills Test will consist of threeexaminations: 180 Literary, 200 Jury

Charge, 225 Q&A. All candidates mustpass with an accuracy rate of 95%.

The Skills portion of the examinationmay be passed in legs. Candidates mayretake any portion of the skills examinationas many times as necessary, provided theymaintain their current membership.

Once a member has become a Certifiedmember, a CSR certificate will be issuedalong with a CSR number and a wallet I.Dcard. Your CSR number should be printedon your Certificate page.

To retain your CSR status, each membermust obtain 3.0 CEU credits over a three-year period. Members who also hold certi-fication through NCRA (RPR, RMR,RDR, CRR) can simply use their NCRAcredits to apply for their CSR CEU credits.

So register today for the October 2, 2004Alabama CSR examination! It’s a greatway to prepare for your RPR examinationin May. You have plenty of time to prepare,so pull out those speed tapes, dust off thekeys, and get ready!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL CSR TESTINGCANDIDATES!

Alabama CSRExamination Application

CSR Examination Date: October 2, 2004Time: 9:00 a.m.Locations: Gadsden, Montgomery, Mobile

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: _____________________________ Email: ___________________________________

ACRA Member (circle one): Yes No

Testing History:

The Alabama CSR skills examination may be passed in legs, as long as the CSR candidate retains theircurrent membership status. Proof of passing the NCRA Written Knowledge Test is required before acandidate can be awarded CSR status.

I have previously taken and passed the RPR Written Knowledge Examination: Yes No

I have previously taken and passed the following legs of the Alabama CSR (circle one):180 Literary 200 Jury Charge 225 Testimony

I currently hold the following NCRA certifications: ___________________________________________

Select your Testing Site:

Please select your desired testing site (circle one): Gadsden Montgomery Mobile

Registration and Payment

Please print and return this completed form along with your testing fee to the address below.Note: All testing candidates must register prior to the examination day. There will be no on-siteregistration.Fees: ACRA Members: $65 Nonmembers: $90

Please send your testing fees to the following address.Alan PeacockPresident-Elect1960 Old Government StreetMobile, AL 36606