How to politely ask to SLOW DOWN.

I started working earlier this year, and when I went out interning, I was taught not to interrupt if I can help it so as not to annoy the attorneys and throw off their "flow." I was told that if the speed was getting away from me, just go back and check the audio later. Well, needless to say, that creates much more work for me when transcribing, AND it makes me feel very frustrated.

So my question is this:  How do you politely and respectfully ask the witness and/or attorney to slow down?

Thank you!  

As you can see, everyone has the same initial concern.  It's our raison d'etre, if you will, to PROTECT THE RECORD.  It has taken me some time to get to the point where I don't feel like everyone will assume I'm an incompetent goof when asking them to slow down, but I'm pretty happy to interrupt in a judicious fashion these days.  That, and you learn to pick your battles.  

Also, I have been made to feel much more confident by older attorneys who often have a nice regard for the record and great respect for the reporter.  It tends to be the younger ones (like, under 60, ha!) that get a little hyper.  I view interrupting uber-youngsters as part of their "training."  Attorneys themselves may be inexperienced and nervous, and they need small amounts of kindly delivered feedback.  I have also found that it's easier if I am already acquainted with the attorney's style - even if they are fast. 

Some thoughts -

1)  I start out politely asking something like "Excuse me, Counsel, I didn't get the end of that."  

2) Sometimes, if I know the attorney well enough, I can just shoot a look  - like a mother would to a child who's about to sneak a cookie out of the jar - and they'll slow down.  

3) The admonitions may not be an indication of depo speed.  A lot of cats blast through them.  In general, I don't interrupt the admonitions.  You'll get used to them (and bored with them) soon enough.

4) If there is a continual problem and I sense a disregard for my task -now, this is if they are also talking over each other and ESPECIALLY if they are yelling - then my claws do come out.  As I said, I always start out nice.  If it's circus time, I get use some great advice given to me by other reporters like "Counsel, the record is suffering" or - the final straw - "If this continues, I cannot certify this record."  

But - hopefully - those situations are few and far between.

I am surprised that another reporter told you not to interrupt, but to rely on your audio and go back and check.  Unfortunately, that is where all the complaints come in about reporters relying on their audio.  What would you do if they asked you to read back and you dropped, and you didn't stop them? 

I record every depo, slow or fast, but if it gets to the point where they are talking too fast and I'm dropping, I will interrupt and start reading the last few words that I have before I dropped, which they will repeat what they, which most of the time is a witness.  Even if it's an attorney I will ask them to slow down, that is our job as reporters for us to write every word, not rely on our audio. 

In regards to relying on the audio -- I have had attorneys walk around and read my laptop while I'm writing.  What then???  Rely on your audio?  I don't think so.  ALWAYS ask them to slow down.  Not that they will obey, but at least if they walk around and look at your computer and you don't have it, there will be a reason why.  I've even had attorneys actually reach over and rotate my computer in their direction so they can see it -- annoying -- but it happens.  

In regards to a polite way to ask them to slow down . . . how about, "TAKE A CHILL PILL, MR. JONES!!!"  No, not really.  wish ya could, sometimes.  I just say (as nicely as I can muster up), "I'm sorry.  Please slow down" -- said without apology and in a rather commanding tone of voice.  You are licensed to take down 200 WPM.  If they are going faster than that, then it is not your fault, it's theirs.   You are trying to protect the record.  If they persist in the breakneck speed, you can even add, "Mr. Jones, to protect the record, I need you to slow down."  They still don't usually slow down, but at least you've covered yourself if they do happen to look at your screen.

One thing, if they are going too fast for you, there's a high probability that they have been asked to slow down by other reporters.  They're probably used to it.  They usually smile and say something like, "All the reporters tell me that."  At least you know you're not alone :) 

They usually smile and say something like, "All the reporters tell me that."

Yeah, what's up with that smile?  I don't understand why they think it's funny or cute to be hard to take down. 

Anyway, I personally have found it helpful to increase my speed so that I have to interrupt less.  That sounds tough, I know, but it is doable.  To me it has seemed like the best balance to strike between the ideal that we are obligated to interrupt and the reality that interruptions are unwelcome.

For those times when I do have to interrupt for a slowdown, which I think we all do experience at times no matter how much we've increased our speed, I always say first, "Excuse me."  Then it depends on the comfort level between the other parties and me, how chatty or not we've been on breaks, how many times I've already had to interrupt, etc. 

If it's more formal or at the beginning of a job, I say something like, "I lost you due to the extreme speed.  Please repeat after blah, blah, blah."  If it's more casual or later in the job, I say something like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Not so fast, Sparky." 

Just kidding on that last one, lol.  I would love to say that one day, though!

Here is what I say when I must interrupt:  Excuse me, I didn't understand you.  Then I  read back from my laptop up to the point where I lost the witness or the attorney.

No one mentioned this.  I try not to ask for spellings on the record, and I usually do that when the witness has a foreign accent, like a doctor.  Instead, I'll jot down the word with a question mark next to it or I'll use the mark on the writer.  But seeing it on my glossary sheet reminds me to ask for spellings.

Don't be shy.   I promise you that you will get over that little hurdle very quickly. 

I was taught by a wonderful teacher and former Court Reporter to try to be the silent man but don't hesitate to speak up when necessary.

Good luck and speak up!

I recently asked an attorney during a break (I didn't know him that well, but could tell he had a sense of humor) to "please whisper a little louder in there," and it was contentious in there, and he said, "Well, the alternative is to yell at them," and I said, "That wouldn't bother me a bit." ;) 

BUT seriously, the real, regular soft talkers, usually the witness, not the attorney, I just interrupt and say, "I'm sorry.  Please keep your voice up," when I can't hear them. 

For the attorneys, I don't find examination is something I can't hear, it's the objections.  So I'll say, "I'm sorry.  Could you please repeat that objection?" 

I think there should be a speaking-for-the-court reporter class in law school :sigh:

Sometimes a rather loud "sigh" will do the trick :)

Occasionally IF it's not videotaped and I know the group, when I stop them for going too fast/speaking over each other or generally being annoying, and they say, "Read the last thing you got," I pause and say,"Would you state your name for the record?"   Usually everyone laughs and regroups.....then I read the real record...but then I think I'm hilarious.  Adding the blurb (Speaking simultaneously) which I saw another reporter use in a transcript is also a helpful tool.