All CRA Terms (Modules 1-6)

All vocabulary from the Court Reporting Academy, including Latin terminology, AAERT vocabulary, & recording hardware/software vocabulary.

[sic] {italicized and place in parentheses or square brackets}

(Latin) "thus" - a word used, usually parenthetically, to indicate that what appears on the record actually was said, even though it is obviously in error

2 types of administrative law

1) rules and regulations, 2) administrative decisions

2 types of jurisdiction in all courts

1) subject, 2) territorial

3 types of courts

1) state, 2) supreme, 3) federal

A to D converter

sound device that converts analog audio to digital sound for use with computers

AAA rating

a rating applied to bonds issued by the most creditworthy companies; the system then includes the less favorable raging of AA, A, BBB, BB, B, etc.

ab-

(Latin) "away from, from"

ab ovo

(Latin) "from the egg" - from the very beginning

action

a lawsuit

actus reus

(Latin) "guilty act"

ad-

(Latin) "to, toward, near"

ad curiam

(Latin) "to the court"

ad hoc

(Latin) "for this particular purpose"

ad infinitum

(Latin) "to infinity" - without end

ad litem

(Latin) "for the suit" - for the purposes of a lawsuit, pending a lawsuit

ad nauseam

(Latin) "to nausea, to sickness"

ad testificandum

(Latin) to come prepared to testify

administrative law

laws related to the relationship between people and government departments, boards, and agencies

administrative law judge

judge that presides over administrative law hearings

adversarial system

trial procedures designed to resolve to resolve conflict through the clash of opposing side, moderated by a neutral, passive judge who applies the law

adverse witness

a witness whose testimony is prejudicial to the case of the party who called him, whether or not the witness is actually hostile

advisory opinion

a ruling on a law or action that has not been challenged

affiant

someone who signs an affidavit

affidavit

written statement of facts made under oath

affirm

to declare that a court ruling is valid and must stand

aggravating circumstances

considerations which increase a sentence imposed in criminal cases under sentencing guidelines

algi-

(Greek) "pain"

allocution

a formal statement by convicted defendant as to whether there is any reason why judgment should not be rendered against him; when a sentencing bargain has been agreed to in exchange for a guilty plea, the defendant must admit guilt

alter ego

(Latin) "other I, second self"

amendment

change/correction, whether beneficial or not, whether adding or subtracting

amicus curiae

(Latin) "friend of the court"

andro-

(Greek) "man, male"

angio-

(Greek) "blood"

annotation timestamp

generated upon the first keystroke of an annotation

annotations

user notes that are created during the recording process that are linked to the audio to provide textual information to support the recorded media

answer

response by defendant denying plaintiff's complaint

ante-

(Latin) "before, in front of, earlier"

ante litem

(Latin) "before trial"

appellate Jurisdiction

the authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts

appreciation

an increase in any item's value over time

arbitration

dispute mediation by impartial third party

archiving

process of copying or writing digital content to an alternate location

arguendo

(Latin) "for the sake of argument"

arraignment

bringing an accused person into court to plead to a criminal charge

arrest

restraint and detention of a person suspected of crime

Article Three

article in Constitution that discusses the judicial branch

asset

an item which has intrinsic value, such as real estate or bonds

bail

an amount of money deposited as a form of collateral to guarantee that a person charged with a crime will appear in court when scheduled

balance of trade

the different between the value of a country's exports and imports

bench conference

a discussion between attorneys and the judge outside the hearing of the jury or courtroom audience; such a discussion may or may not be on the record

bench warrant

authority to find and bring to court someone who has failed to appear

beyond a reasonable doubt

standard for conviction in a criminal trial

bifurcation

trial of certain issues separately, as guilt/penalty or complaint/damages

black letter law

basic principles of law, especially when published in statutes

Black's Law Dictionary

a standard legal reference work, including abbreviations and other materials

blast-

(Greek) "bud, cell"

bona fide

(Latin) "in good faith" - open, sincere

boundary microphone

one or more small omni-directional or cardioid condenser mix capsule(s) positioned near or flush with a boundary (surface) such as a floor, table or wall

brief

a written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and ruling that support it

broker

one acting as a middleman between buyers and sellers

burden of proof

the obligation to provide affirmative proof on an issue

calendar

court schedule

capacitor

has two metal plates with an insulating material sitting between them

carcino-

(Greek) "cancer"

cardio-

(Greek) "heart"

cardioid

a microphone having approximately uniform response over 180 degrees in front and minimum response in back

case in chief

primary presentation of evidence by a party

case law

printed decisions and opinions of appellate jurisdictions

cause of action

situation causing a lawsuit

caveat

(Latin) "let him beware" - a warning, caution, or specific limitation attached to a statement, agreement, or situation

caveat emptor

(Latin) "let the buyer beware"

caveat venditor

(Latin) "let the seller beware"

cephal-

(Greek) "head"

cerebro-

(Latin) "brain"

certiorari

(Latin) "to be more fully informed" - a writ from a higher to a lower court, ordering a transcript of proceedings for appellate review

certiorari, writ of

an appellate court order (especially from the Supreme Court) granting a hearing to an appellant; if a hearing is granted, the lower court is ordered to provide a certified record of the case for the appellate judges to review

chain of custody

record showing proper maintenance of "real" evidence, such as seized narcotics or weapons, as opposed to mere documents

challenge

objection to having someone serve as a juror

chambers

a judge's office within a courthouse

charge to the jury

instructions from the judge concerning the law which concerns a case

chattel

(Old English) "cattle" - an article of personal or movable property

chole-

(Greek) "bile (fat)"

circuit court of appeal

federal appellate level immediately below the Supreme Court

civil trial courts

hears cases where one person or group thinks another person or group should pay for causing harm

class action

a suit joined in by a group of people who share a common interest in a matter

closing statement

an attorney's final statement in a trial

cloud on title

a claim or lien which impairs an owner's otherwise free right to use his property

coccus, cocci

(Greek) "seed, grain"

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)

federal regulatory agency rules and regulations which implement federal laws; these regulations, once promulgated, have the force of actual law

collateral estoppel

a bar to re-litigating an issue already been tried between the same parties

colloquy

any formal conference, conversation, or discussion between lawyers, the judge, or other parties during a judicial proceeding

com-/-cum-

(Latin) "with, together"

commodities

raw material products, such as soybeans, wheat, or oil, as opposed to manufactured products

common law

laws made by judges as they resolve cases

complaint

plaintiff's initial pleading which a defendant initially answers

compos mentis

(Latin) "sane, of sound mind"

compression

process of reducing the size of a data file

concurrent sentences

two or more sentences served at the same time

concurring jurisdiction

the ability to exercise judicial review by different courts at the same time, within the same territory, and over the same subject matter

concurring opinion

an opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning