Court Reporter Practice Exam

If instructed by the judge to expunge something from the record, what should a court reporter do?

1. Ignore the instruction

2. Leave in notes but don't transcribe

3. Delete all records

4. Notify the legal team

The correct answer is: Leave in notes but don't transcribe

When a judge instructs a court reporter to expunge something from the record, the appropriate course of action is to leave the information in notes but not transcribe it into the official record. This approach balances the need to comply with the judge's order while ensuring that the court reporter retains an accurate account of what occurred during the proceedings, which could be necessary for potential appeals or further legal proceedings. By not transcribing the information, the court reporter maintains the confidentiality that the judge sought to achieve without compromising their role as a reliable chronicler of court proceedings. In context, simply ignoring the instruction would disregard the authority of the judge and potentially result in legal repercussions. Deleting all records is not a feasible option, as certain records may be necessary for future reference, even if they are not included in the official transcript. Notifying the legal team, while potentially important, is not the primary responsibility of the court reporter in this situation and does not comply with the direct instruction provided by the judge.