O'Brien & Bails

Michigan Court Reporters

By Dawn Houghton

10 Notable Legal Courtroom Scenes in Movies

legal courtroom scenes in moviesAs court reporters, we are very critical of courtroom scenes in movies. Often, they are unrealistic and contain inaccurate procedures. Since we see a lot of testimony, courtroom scenes in movies often do not live up to the real thing.

We’ve discovered this list of ten notable courtroom scenes. Whether accurate or not, this is a pretty good list of entertaining courtroom scenes. The next time you’re looking for something good to rent or watch on Netflix, give one of these a try.

The movies are not necessarily about the legal system themselves but still contain a memorable scene. CAUTION: there may be some spoilers here.

10 Notable Courtroom Scenes In Film
by ericvg16, November 3, 2012

10. A Tap Dance – Chicago (2002)

“Ladies and gentlemen, a tap dance.” Taye Diggs’ lead-in sets the stage (figuratively and literally) for Richard Gere’s Billy Flynn to engage in some courtroom histrionics. Claiming “I’ve never lost a case,” Flynn’s tap dance is juxtaposed with him working over Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and making prosecutor Harrison (Colm Feore) look like a complete fool. He even manages to imply that Harrison is complicit in setting up Roxie. The coup de grâce is when he furiously bangs the judge’s gavel several times, and then, out of breath, turns to the courtroom and exclaims, “The defense rests!”

9. Legally Blonde (2001)

Admittedly, the movie is probably a little kitsch, but Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Elle Woods catapulted her into the stratosphere of Hollywood. The scene that stands out is when pool boy Enrique, rumored to be the lover of accused murderess Brooke Windham, is examined by Emmett (Luke Wilson). While getting a drink of water, Enrique snaps about not tapping her Prada shoes at him. She becomes convinced that he’s gay and lying about his relationship with Brooke. Only Emmett believes her and ingeniously baits Enrique by finally asking him, “And your boyfriend’s name is..?” to which Enrique responds, “Chuck,” thereby falling into Emmett’s trap.

8. A Time to Kill (1996)

For all of the knocks about Matthew McConaughey, his closing summation in A Time to Kill is one of his best acting performances. After floundering to save defendant Carl Lee Hailey, his character, Jake, finally hears Carl Lee’s argument that he is “one of them,” that is, a white man in the Deep South. No matter who he claims to be, Jake will still be seen as “one of them.” Carl Lee asks Jake to use that to his advantage, and Jake does so as he delivers a solemn closing argument that extols the nature of man and how pervasive double standards are.

7. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Played with the usual “aw, shucks” demeanor by the late great Jimmy Stewart, defense attorney Paul Biegler is assigned to a murder defendant whose wife had an affair with the victim, Quill. After being railroaded by both the prosecution and the judge, Biegler finally appeals to the judge and laments that the prosecution is presenting its case based on circumstantial evidence. He compares it to “removing the core from an apple without removing the skin,” and begs the judge to “let me cut into the apple.” After the prosecution attempts to object to his methods, the judge reluctantly overrules the objection, setting up a dramatic finish, including a fantastic summation from George C. Scott.

6. Primal Fear (1996)

Edward Norton’s film debut couldn’t have started off any better – he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Playing murder defendant Aaron Stampler, a stuttering altar boy, Norton is put on the stand by prosecutor Laura Linney, and, true to form, stutters, and has trouble answering her questions. Until, that is, he is pushed too far, and his altar ego “Roy,” a violent sociopath (and no stutter), emerges. He jumps over the box and begins to choke her, threatening to break her neck. This is enough to condemn him to a mental hospital. However, it turns out that it was all a ruse – as the defendant responds to his attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere again) that “there was never an Aaron, counselor.”

5. Inherit the Wind (1960)

Both leads (Fredric March and Spencer Tracy) were multiple Oscar winners, and it shows. Based off the Scopes monkey trial, Drummond (played by Tracy) is being stonewalled by Brady (March) and the judge, so he resorts to his last option: putting Brady on trial as an expert on the Bible. Brady starts out confident, but after pointing out that “if the Lord wants a sponge to think, it thinks!” Drummond is able to trap Brady in the uncertainties of the Bible and how it contradicts itself. Ultimately, while Cates is found guilty, Drummond’s argument is enough to get him off with a slap on the wrist. A powerful performance from both of these men.

4. A Few Good Men (1992)

We all know this scene for Jack Nicholson’s memorable quote, “You can’t handle the truth!” However, the entire testimony from Col. Jessep and the cross-examination from Tom Cruise makes this scene brilliant. Additionally, Kevin Bacon, representing the military, forces Cruise to be on his toes the entire time; how he manages to trap Jessep in his lies is no small feat.

3. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

In actuality, both Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep’s testimony in their custody battle is moving and certainly relevant. However, Streep’s Joanna Kramer is able to express her love and fears and hopes for their son, Billy, all the while being badgered by Ted’s attorney. She keeps insisting that the marriage “wasn’t a success,” but the attorney argues, “Not it, Mrs. Kramer. You.” Finally, they both snap and Joanna tearfully admits her mistakes. It is likely that this scene is the clincher that gave Meryl Streep her first of three Oscars.

2. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

This film certainly has the best ending of all these films, both for the twist and for the superb performance of Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, and Tyrone Power. Defended by Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Laughton), murder defendant Leonard Vole looks unlikely to win his case when his wife, Christine (Dietrich), makes the controversial decision to testify against him (despite spousal privilege), indicating that he is guilty. After receiving a phone call from an anonymous woman that discredits Christine’s testimony, Sir Wilfrid is able to get Vole off. In a twist, it turns out that the anonymous woman was Christine herself. The ending can be summed up in two lines:

“You knew he was innocent, and I understand that.”
“No, Sir Wilfrid, you have it all wrong. I knew he was guilty.”

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

I think to many, this one was no surprise. Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird not only won him an Academy Award but also was named the greatest movie hero of all time, ahead of Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones, and numerous others. While defending Tom Robinson, and knowing he isn’t going to win despite evidence that Robinson couldn’t have done it, Atticus barely raises his voice. He begs the court to “believe in Tom Robinson.” Peck’s baritone voice demonstrates everything that is indeed heroic about Atticus Finch. The ending of the scene is one of the amazing moments in cinema – as Atticus solemnly puts away his attaché case and walks out of the court room in defeat, what Reverend Sykes says next to Scout Finch demonstrates the immeasurable respect Atticus has earned: “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” And with that, Atticus leaves the courtroom, knowing that while he had little chance, it was his duty as a father and a man to fight for justice.

By Dawn Houghton

Every Day in Court Reporting Is Different

O’Brien & Bails isn’t just another court reporting firm.  We are made up of individual people who happen to be Michigan court reporters.  We thought we would take some time to let you get to know our court reporters.

Yvonne Lantz has been a court reporter since 1972.  She has been with O’Brien and Bails since 1992, and is based out of our Lansing, Michigan office.

Yvonne Lantz - court reporterHow long have you been a court reporter?

Since 1972.

How long have you been with O’Brien and Bails?

Since September 1992.

Have you ever worked in other jobs or fields besides court reporting?

Only the usual high school and college jobs, such as at a drive-in, in the high school office, at a local radio station, and worked for a pharmacy professor while in college.

Where did you grow up?

My first 11 years were in Belleville, Michigan, then we moved to Niles, Michigan

What changes have you seen in the industry since you became a court reporter?

Transcripts were produced by either dictating or typing it yourself. We had to use carbon sets, up to four or five pages at a time, and then manually try to put corrections in the typed document. Computer-aided transcription and realtime have been wonderful advances.

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

Every day is different, especially as a freelancer. I like going to different places, working with different people, and learning something new almost every day.

What is the most challenging part of being a court reporter?

Trying to keep up with people talking at the same time, especially when attorneys are arguing.

As a court reporter, what is your biggest fear?

That I will show up at a job and have my equipment malfunction.

What has been your most challenging deposition?

There have been quite a few, from veterinarians at MSU, physicians in all kinds of specialties, even a young five-year-old boy who wanted to crawl around under the table when being asked questions.

Have you ever had funny things happen to you in a deposition?

There have been quite a few over the years, but I can’t remember them all. One time I was in a burned home with an attorney who was inventorying what was left.

On one case, the attorneys were all very friendly with each other and would joke around a lot. I remember a younger attorney commenting to an older attorney that he looked great, and that he hoped he would look as good when he was the same age. Another attorney piped up, “No, that’s impossible.” When the younger attorney responded, “Why?”, the reply was, “You don’t look that good now!”

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

Just try to keep the right priorities, but it can be difficult when the office is really busy.

If you would like to schedule a deposition with Yvonne Lantz or one of O’Brien and Bails’ professional court reporters, you can do so by going to our Online Deposition Scheduler.

By Dawn Houghton

Time Management Tips for Court Reporters

Time Management Tips for Court ReportersMost court reporters spend a large part of their time working independently with the ability to flex some of their schedule. While this lends flexibility that most court reporters enjoy, it also means we are responsible for our own time management with many deadlines to meet. Sometimes meeting all of those deadlines can seem daunting and overwhelming.

To help tackle the overwhelm, here are some time management tips that will help you keep yourself organized and moving forward, accomplishing more work in less time.

Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day.

Don’t start your day until you’ve completed your plan for how you will spend your time. For instance, are you going to work on editing your latest transcript first, then switch to proofreading later in the morning? Will you edit until the entire transcript is finished before switching tasks? Making decisions at the beginning of your day will allow you to easily move from one task to the next without hesitation.

Take five minutes before every task to decide what result you want to attain.

This will help you know what success looks like before you start. Take five minutes after each task to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? What do you need to bring the task to completion?

Put up a “Do not disturb” sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

When I’m working in my home office and close my door, my family knows they are to let me work without disruption. Whether your office is in a traditional setting or a home office, it’s amazing how much you can get done when you are not being interrupted.

Resist answering the phone every time it rings.

Don’t answer email as soon as it shows up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don’t instantly give people your attention unless it’s absolutely crucial. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls. Eliminating these constant interruptions can do wonders for boosting your productivity.

Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks.

Work on large tasks a few minutes at a time until you get them done. This works for large tasks as well as tasks you find yourself procrastinating over. For instance, when it’s time to organize my tax receipts, I know I would dread sitting down and going through all of them at once. So I have set up a plan, after consulting with my accountant, to spend a few minutes every week entering data.  Spending a few minutes each week makes it easier to accomplish, and that way, I stay up-to-date.

Know when you work best.

Are you a morning person? Then plan your priority tasks for the morning. Not sure when you work your best? Discover your best time by monitoring your productivity over a period of time. Once you find your best time, set your schedule to keep your best time free for your most important work. I know that I need to do proofreading in the morning, because I am often not as fresh in the afternoon and find it difficult to stay on task. But in the morning, I can get through many pages easily and know I didn’t miss anything.

Know how you work best.

I like to alternate between standing and sitting when I do my proofing.  I have a stand-up desk to make it easier for me to stay fresh and alert.  If I get too comfortable as I’m proofing, I find I am not as engaged as I need to be.  I sometimes set a timer so I don’t forget to change positions.

We all have our own time management skills that work for us.  Adding a new skill from time to time will help you make the most of the time you do have and allow you to be more productive and less stressed.

By Dawn Houghton

What Does a Court Reporter Do?

What Does a Court Reporter Do?When I tell someone I’m a court reporter, often I’m asked, “What is that?” It’s difficult to explain what I do in a short sentence. To help describe what I do, I often hold my hands in front of me, as though on a keyboard, and say, “You know, the person with the little machine who sits in front of the judge in court.” And the person I am speaking to often says, “Oh, yes”.  But there’s much more I’d like to tell them about what a court reporter does. So if you have ever wondered what a court reporter does, here is my answer.

First, I can tell you what we are not. We are not the person who reports on news for TV stations.  We are not that kind of court news reporter.

Maker of the Record

We are the person who sits in the court room or in a deposition who takes down every spoken word and detail during the proceedings. We prepare official transcripts of the sworn testimony for use by attorneys, judges and litigants. These transcripts are used as the official record of the events that took place during the hearing or trial. We are responsible for certifying that what has been entered is accurate and true to the best of our ability.

Skilled Professional

To become a court reporter, we have gone through college programs that teach us the skill of steno writing at a very high level of speed and accuracy. It can take 2 to 5 years to reach the level of skill that is required to receive certification to work as a court reporter. We have to demonstrate that we can write at a speed of 225 words per minute with 97 percent accuracy.

Court reporters need excellent communication, organizational and time management skills. We have the ability to work in a high-pressure environment. We know how to work under a deadline. The documents we prepare are the only account of the court proceedings and are vital to the credibility of the judicial system. We take this responsibility very seriously.

Attorneys and corporations hire freelance reporters when they have a need for an accurate and complete record of proceedings, such as depositions, board of director meetings, stockholder minutes or other legal proceedings.

Talented Technicians

Court reporters use a computer and stenotype machine to take down the spoken words they hear. The stenotype machine allows the reporter to use a form of shorthand by using sounds of words to record data. The computer uses software called computer-aided transcription to translate the information into English.

Court reporters are using more advanced technology to provide instant transcription in rough draft form on computer screens while the proceeding is in session. This is called realtime translation. This technology is also used to allow the deaf and hard-of-hearing community access to what is happening in a live classroom, meeting, church or theater. This skill is also used to caption live television shows, such as newscasts.

Our profession is a quiet one. We are always in the background, patiently taking down every word that is spoken, sometimes working in very difficult, emotional and trying circumstances, but we always protect the record. We know how important the role is that we play in the legal system, and we are proud to be the keepers of the record.

If you like this post, you might also be interested in this interview with Nicole Roe on her thoughts about being a court reporter.

By Dawn Houghton

Grand Rapids Court Reporter Has Seen Many Legal Technology Advances

O’Brien & Bails isn’t just another court reporting firm.  We are made up of individual people who happen to be Michigan court reporters.  We thought we would take some time to let you get to know our court reporters.

Grand Rapids court reporter Dawn HoughtonDawn Houghton is the owner of O’Brien and Bails Court Reporting and Video. She is also one of our court reporters in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan.
How long have you been a court reporter?

29 years

How long have you been with O’Brien and Bails? 

23 years

Before becoming a court reporter, have you ever worked in other jobs or fields?

I grew up on a farm so every summer I would look forward to baling hay. In 8th grade, I picked strawberries at a local farm. In high school, I worked at a snack bar in a bowling alley. My daughter’s favorite story about my growing up, though, is I used to pick rocks from the fields.

Where did you grow up?

Ravenna, Michigan, pronounced Ra-van-na by those who grew up there but Ra-ven-na by everyone else.

What changes have you seen in the industry since you became a court reporter?

We have gone from pen writers who wrote down every word in steno notebooks, to machine writers who dictated their notes and a typist would type up the transcript from the dictation, to the advent of computers where reporters could edit, correct and print their transcripts themselves, to realtime reporters who can take down the testimony while the attorneys watch the testimony on their computer, to internet streaming where reporters’ transcripts are remotely viewed by parties in the case in different parts of the country.

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

I really like writing and knowing I am preserving the record of testimony.

What is the most challenging part of being a court reporter?

Finding our voice. We are always in the background, patiently taking down every word that is spoken, sometimes working in very difficult, emotional and trying circumstances, but we must always protect the record, even if it means speaking up.

As a court reporter, what is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is we won’t be valued for what we do. Most reporters I know are incredibly conscientious and professional, and even though we make it look easy, it is an awesome skill that we have.

What has been your most challenging deposition?

My most challenging deposition was a patent infringement case over electrochromatic mirrors where the witness was from India. It was a four-hour deposition and I did end up with a migraine after that one. I still remember writing “ax’-ler-rate-ing,” which is how the witness pronounced it, but I knew he was saying accelerating from the context. There is a lot of concentration we bring to bear in those circumstances.

Have you ever had funny things happen to you in a deposition?

I don’t know if it was funny, but I was taking a video deposition of a doctor with two attorneys from Louisiana, and part way through the deposition, they became so angry with each other, they got up and started chasing each other around the table. I had to keep moving my machine while still writing as they were running past me because the video was still going and I didn’t want to miss anything that was going to be on the video! Thank goodness the doctor finally stopped them. To this day, years later, when I walk into that doctor’s office, he says: You’re the reporter that was at that deposition.

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

I just do the best I can. I am always juggling work and family life – I have two teenage girls and that takes a lot of work in itself. But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I love challenges.

If you would like to schedule a court reporter in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo, Michigan for your next deposition, go to our online Deposition Scheduler found here.