Read - Alabama Court Reporters Association
Transcription
Read - Alabama Court Reporters Association
For The Record is published by the Alabama Court Reporters Association on a regular basis four times a year. Publication Schedule for 2006/2007: June 1, 2006 September 1, 2006 December 1, 2006 March 1, 2007 Deadline for articles and ads is 30 days immediately preceding the above publication dates. Please submit articles, ads, etc., in DIGITAL FORMAT attached to an email to: Suzanne B. Frazier, [email protected] MOVING? Mail or Email To: Janet F. Hereford 25 West 11th Street, Box 1 Anniston, AL 36201 [email protected] Interested in Advertising with Us? Full Page $90.00 each issue OR $300.00 for four issues Half Page $50.00 each issue OR $170.00 for four issues Quarter Page $30.00 each issue OR $90.00 for four issues Send camera-ready advertisement and check to: Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR Editor, For The Record 801 North Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard Criminal Justice Center, Room 604 Birmingham, AL 35203 [email protected] www.alcra.org THE RECORD NEVER FORGETS FOR THE RECORD A Publication of the Alabama Court Reporters Association ACRA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2005-2006 PRESIDENT Alan Peacock, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC 1960 Old Government Street Mobile, AL 36606 Office/Home: 251-476-6327 email: [email protected] PRESIDENT-ELECT Randall E. Murphree, CSR 801 North Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard Criminal Justice Center – Room 406 Birmingham, AL 35203 Office: 205-325-4867 • Home: 205-274-7249 email: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT Diana L. Battles, CSR, RPR 1504 Country Club Drive, S.W. Jacksonville, AL 36265 Office: 256-782-5848 • Home: 256-782-0705 email: [email protected] TREASURER Julia S. Isenhower, CSR, RPR 26626 Dean Court South Daphne, AL 36526 Office/Home: 251-626-8062 email: [email protected] SECRETARY Kathryn L. Hicks, CSR, RPR 801 North Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard Criminal Justice Center – Room 509 Birmingham, AL 35203 Office: 205-325-5935 • Home: 205-425-6798 email: [email protected] IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR 801 North Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard Criminal Justice Center – Room 604 Birmingham, AL 35203 Office: 205-307-7802 • Home: 205-631-2188 email: [email protected] DIRECTORS DISTRICT 1 Mary Frances Hicks, CSR, RPR 3404 Blackberry Lane Northport, AL 35473 Office: 205-349-3870 • Home: 205-330-1101 email: [email protected] DISTRICT 2 Stacy Littleton, CSR 25 West 11th Street Suite 320 Anniston, AL 36201 Office: 256-231-1824 • Home: 256-463-4676 email: [email protected] DISTRICT 3 Sheree W. Cater, CSR Post Office Box 805 Troy, AL 36081-0805 Office: 334-566-1307 • Home: 334-371-0505 email: [email protected] DISTRICT 4 Kathryn W. Sharpe, CSR Post Office Box 846 Andalusia, AL 36420 Office: 334-428-2504 • Home: 334-388-2521 email: [email protected] From the Desk of the President Alan Peacock, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC ACRA President Dynamic Times! I hope you enjoy this information-packed issue of For The Record. Most of us receive our FTR’s and read them and Alan Peacock enjoy them; yet we rarely, if ever, think about the work that goes on behind the scenes to put this publication together. Putting all of this together is literally a labor of love performed by the FTR Editor Suzanne Frazier, CSR, RPR, and Kathy Hicks, CSR, RPR. The duties of the editor are numerous and include countless thankless hours. Well, I would like to take a minute and recognize the work of these two outstanding members and express a heartfelt “Thank You” to both of them for producing such an excellent product. I believe our publication is one of the best state association publications in the country. So the next time you see one of these ladies who give so tirelessly of their time and knowledge, give them a pat on the back and say thank you! Now on to the news you need to know. This has been a busy quarter for ACRA, filled with much activity. First of all, I want to acknowledge Randall Murphree, CSR, our president-elect and convention chair, for his excellent work in planning and executing such a wonderful Midwinter Conference. The conference boasted the highest number of attendees of any ACRA conference in our association’s history! Randall is a true professional and did an excellent job. See Randall’s article in this issue for more on the conference, including some great pictures. In addition, ACRA’s own Jeanna Boggs and her band did an amazing job at the opening reception. They had every face smiling and every foot tapping! Ku- Volume 23, No. 1 Spring 2006 dos to all involved for providing a wonderful time. I’m already looking forward to the ACRA 2006 Summer Convention, which will be held right here in my hometown, Mobile, Alabama. Please mark your calendars now and plan to attend. There’s so much to do here in Mobile. For those of you who want to also have a vacation, our beautiful Gulf beaches are only 45 minutes from Mobile! During our last Board meeting, we approved a new method for sending, recording, and tracking membership renewals. You will be receiving your renewal forms in the next few months. Remember to renew early! If you do not renew by July 31, you will not only allow your ACRA membership to lapse, but you will lose your CSR-points history and certification. The new renewal forms are designed to make renewing an easier and a more streamlined process for you, the member, as well as our volunteer administrative staff. You will not need to enter all of your contact information this year. Simply review the form and then circle and print any changes you need to make. Please include and/or update your email address with us when you receive the form. Many times throughout the year we send urgent emails to everyone. We do not want to miss any of our members. Also please provide your “County” on the form. Once all members have complied and we have everyone in our database listed with a county, then we can begin using a new and exciting feature on the website that I will tell you more about later. Stay tuned. You’re going to love this one! I would also like to note that in the previous issue of FTR there was a misspelling on the header of the article written by Deanna Johnson, CSR, RPR, FAPR. The error was not due to any fault on the part of the author or the editors of FTR. The printing company inserted the headers after text was moved and we sincerely apologize to Deanna and to any members who thought continued. on page 11 Address SERVICE Requested THE RECORD N EVER FORGETS Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR 801 North Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard Criminal Justice Center – Room 604 Birmingham, AL 35203 Permit #590 Montgomery, AL PAID Presrt Std U.S. Postage TEMNP 5.25x8 Midwinter Musings Randall Murphree, CSR Vice President / Convention Chairman Hello Fellow Reporters! I hope you were able to attend our Midwinter Conference in Prattville at The Legends Marriott at Capitol Hill. Including vendors, there were 150 people in attendance. The conference began bright and early Friday morning with programs taught by AOC. Early birds who participated from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon earned 1.5 CEU’s, all that are required for maintenance of CSR requirements. The famous Jane Boucher was the first seminar speaker. Jane is a certified public speaker and nationally known author, having written six books. Her best seller How to Love the Job You Hate has been endorsed by Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, respected author of the best-selling One Minute Manager. Jane’s presentation was entitled Building a High-Performance Work Team. We all had an opportunity to learn more about getting along with others in the workplace and how to achieve the goals we want in life. Dr. Hugh Berryman was the next seminarian. Dr. Berryman, who served on the faculty of the Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, and as Director of the Regional Forensic Center, Memphis, for 20 years, spoke on Murders to Mummies: Selected Days in the Life of a Forensic Anthropologist. His session was most interesting! He took all of us on a long trip from overseas to Mexico and posed a query for us to decide if a mummy that had been found was a relative of a famous person, by taking a photograph from the family member and comparing it using the latest technology available. We decided the evidence was conclusive, but not 100 percent proof. One of the best parts of the conference was Jeanna Boggs and her countrywestern band. Jeanna, you have a great singing voice and must have nerves of steel to perform in front of your court reporting peers! Entertainment ranged from country, gospel, and rock music from the ‘70’s, with “Sweet Home Alabama” getting most everyone out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Many members got in the groove and enjoyed some line dancing as a means of unwinding from a long day of sessions. I know I am getting old when I see my classmate’s children out there dancing. Laura Nichols, her husband, and their two children -- or I should say young adults - were an attraction to watch on the dance floor. The “heavy hors d’oeuvres” were excellent! The Legends did a wonderful job in setting up the dance floor and keeping the food supplied. Saturday morning began with Mike Carroll from AOC and John Lazenby from the AG’s Office speaking to us on EFiling. We were told that official reporters in the near future would not be required to file paper copies of appeals in criminal and/or civil appeals, but would instead be required to file one original and send an efile to the Court of Criminal Appeals or to the Court of Civil Appeals. The good news is that compensation for appeal transcripts filed will not be impacted. E-Filing will be a more efficient and faster process and will speed up the appellate process, saving the State thousands of dollars in paper costs and postage. Court reporters will be paid the same rates as before, but will not be required to make and file the extra paper copies. Hey, that means no more standing at the copying machine for hours on end. The next seminarian was Wendy Mathis, RN, SANE (Sexual Abuse Nurse Examiner). Wendy founded the Sexual Abuse Nurse Examiner Program at The 9/22/05 8:48 AM Page 1 Realtime Internet Deposition Broadcasting RealLegal® E-TranscriptTM RealLegal® PublisherTM & BinderTM THE Highest Quality IN Court Reporting Video Depositions Videosynchronization Trial Presentations Online Scheduling Videoconferencing & Deposition Suites Continued on page 14 IF YOU WANT TO CRACK THE CASE, USE POWER TOOLS. E S TA B L I S H E D 19 74 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 205-326-6070 (BIRMINGHAM) • 888-662-7556 (TOLL FREE) • 334-262-7556 Information Access. Personal Response. THE NEW POWER OF REPORTING. 205.252.9152 Toll-Free 800.458.6031 Fax 205.252.0196 One Federal Place, Suite 1020 1819 Fifth Avenue North Birmingham, Alabama 35203 www.TylerEaton.com 15 Prince Institute Announcement Learning At Leadership Happy New Year from Prince Institute! We hope that your 2006 has gotten off to a great start as ours has. We had some exciting things take place in 2005, and 2006 is looking even better. We had 12 students graduate in 2005. And in September 2005, Stenograph purchased Prince Institute. Prince Institute is in its 30th year of training reporters, and we here at Prince and Stenograph want to keep that excellent tradition going, as we’re sure you do, too. We have a long list of things going on and many things to accomplish this year. We are getting our Judicial Reporting program and our Scoping program approved for online and our Captioning program approved for in house and online. We do have some of our Judicial Reporting and Scoping courses approved for online, and they are being taught; and we will have the entire Judicial Reporting and Scoping programs approved for online by the Spring quarter which begins in April. We are working on our Captioning program and should have it approved for in house and online by the Summer quarter which begins in July. And, of course, we are lobbying, along with NCRA, to Congress for some Federal funding to help with our Captioning program. As a school, we are always hard at recruiting. In the past couple of months we have done billboards. We have had a couple of articles in the Montgomery Advertiser in the Business Section. But the best recruiting is by word of mouth. So keep spreading the word. Who knows! You could win a red leather laptop bag. Contact the school at 334-271-1670 or 877-853-5569, and we will let you know how. Midwinter Musings Continued from page 2 Crisis Center in Birmingham and has taught many emergency room nurses and law enforcement personnel on how best to collect and preserve evidence in rape and sodomy cases. Wendy demonstrated a great sense of humor while instructing on a very delicate subject. The information she provided will be of assistance to any reporter taking testimony in this type of case as they will be better able to understand the techniques employed. ACRA’s very own Greta Duckett, CSR, RPR, emceed Steno Swap. Those participating had the opportunity to learn from fellow reporters better and shorter ways to write shorthand. And for the final speaker, my good friend Tom Mesereau, Esq., donated his time, coming from California to Alabama to speak at our ACRA conference. Nationally known, Tom needs no introduction. He has been on Larry King Live, Barbara Walters Specials, and all the country’s networks as well as those in Europe. Tom’s presentation was High Profile Cases and the Michael Jackson Trial. After listening to Tom, I was convinced that the State of California did not prove that Michael Jackson was 14 guilty. Tom shared much information concerning the trial that was never heard in the media. Tom is an attorney who demonstrates high professional ethics and morals. He performs many hours of legal service on a pro bono basis, including capital murder cases here in Alabama. He is truly a statesman for the legal profession and willing to assist people in general whether they are rich or poor. I want to say thank you to the people who made this conference possible: President Alan Peacock and Past President Suzanne Frazier, for guiding me through the planning of the midwinter conference; the planning committee; board members; and district directors. Deanna Johnson came early Thursday night and stayed up with me until midnight setting up the registration table. I’d like to thank Joy Dick and Jennifer Marbut, students from Gadsden State Community College, and Stacie Dykes, from Prince Institute, for their assistance in staffing the registration table. Callie Dietz and her staff from AOC helped with the mail-out for the officials and speakers. Also, thanks go out to our vendors who were present: Stenograph, Digital Cat, Legal-Imaging, Legal Link, Prince Institute, Tahitian Noni Juice International. Misty Whitworth took by Diana Battles, CSR, RPR, ACRA Vice President and Randall Murphree, CSR, ACRA President Elect the many photographs that will be posted on our website, www.alcra.org . A HUGE thank you goes to District Three Director Sheree Cater who single-handedly took care of acquiring all of the door prizes and awarding them throughout the conference. Thanks also to our board members as well as various persons too numerous to name who were by my side constantly throughout the weekend. Having read all the suggestions that were made on the evaluation forms turned in, I will consider those suggestions and try to make improvements in the upcoming summer convention. By the way, MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JULY 20TH THROUGH THE 22nd AT THE RIVERVIEW MARRIOTT HOTEL IN MOBILE, ALABAMA. Volunteers to assist in planning this convention are most welcome! If you have a suggestion for a speaker, please e-mail me at murph1@aol. com or let one of your District Directors know. This summer’s convention is your convention. You should become involved in making it a great convention. Take care. I will see you in July. ~Randall. We would like to start off by thanking the ACRA Board for providing us the opportunity to attend NCRA’s Leadership Conference this past November. It was an awesome program that really made us more aware of our responsibilities not only as ACRA officers, but also as court reporters. The leadership training in and of itself was quite intense. NCRA does a tremendous job with its resources. The various components of teamwork and management were addressed by very able speakers. Learning that different personalities and opinions are necessary to make an association’s board work is nothing new. It was identifying our own personality that was interesting. Finding ways to make those varied personalities work in conjunction with our ACRA simply reinforces the idea that all of us are (or should be) working together to build a better profession. The information we gleaned was not simply broad based, but also focused on issues that could be applied to our own ACRA. Connecting with other state leaders from around the country and hearing their concerns was a great way to find out that we are not in as bad shape in Alabama as some other states. With the possibility of CCR passing, we were able to share that path to pending success with other states. NCRA is currently making a push to investigate what is happening in the realm of electronic recording, which in some regions is threatening to replace court reporters. A national task force has been assembled, and ACRA is participating in the gathering of information for NCRA. More positive media coverage was also addressed. The “bad” stories are the ones that always make the news. We, as court reporters, should be actively publicizing the “good” stories. Court reporting school enrollment is down nationally, but the job market is going to be wide open with the new captioning laws that are taking effect. Networking as a necessity and not just a trend was explored. How many times have you mentioned a name in a conversation, only to find out the person you were talking to knows the person of whom you were speaking? Networking is one way we can help ourselves to grow our profession, our businesses, and ourselves. Participating in ACRA and attending our continuing education conferences and annual conventions are great ways to network on our state level. You never know when one contact will help open the door to the room you want to enter! Randall and I received so much information, it is impossible to really do it justice in an abbreviated way. The major point that we came away with is: Ours is a profession of diverse people who have differing ideas and ways to provide leadership. All we need to do is acknowledge that, work together for the progress of our professional association, and lead ACRA into a better future. The Latest From District 3 by Sheree Cater, CSR District 3 Director It is such an honor to be your ACRA District 3 DiSheree Cater rector. My name is Sheree Cater. I am happily married and have two children. My beautiful daughter Hannah is 11, and my handsome son Lane is 2. We just moved to Greenville, Alabama, one year ago. Originally from Millbrook, I have to say I desperately miss my friends there. As a 2003 graduate of Prince Institute of Professional Studies, I’d like to take this opportunity in thanking Mrs. Eddie Reed for her patience, Pat Hill for her encouraging words, and Mark Prince for the great “takes.” I love you guys and couldn’t have made it without your friendship and guidance! I was eight and a half months pregnant when I finished my last 225, and graduation ceremonies were two weeks after my son Lane was born. After graduation I began work as a freelance reporter with Reagan Reporters in Montgomery. Karen Drinkard, you are such an inspiration to Testimony of Faith and Courage by Penny Adams, CSR, RPR, CRR Sunday, January 22nd, Penny gave this testimony to the church she was raised in. They had a prayer vigil in her honor from 12:00 noon on Sunday until 12:00 noon on Monday in honor of her birthday. To Everyone! I want to thank you all for the support and prayers you’ve given my family and me the past six years. It’s been a long journey for us; and without the prayer, it would have been much more difficult. The prayers have kept us going, and all the prayers in the future will be greatly appreciated. Every time our name is lifted, God hears it and gives us another blessing for the day. The only way we get through the days is knowing God will fulfill the prayers and His healing arms are wrapped around us. “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Fear not; I will help you.” (Isaiah: 41:13) A quote from a dear friend says: “God gives grace for the hour, but you don’t get the grace until the hour comes.” God is the great physician, and only He 4 me! After working exactly one year with Reagan Reporters, I came across an amazing opportunity and applied for an officialship in Pike County. I started my new position in August of 2004. We have three judges in our circuit and are all like a little happy family. I’ve taken the opportunity with this article to introduce myself and to make announcements about happenings within District 3. If at any time any of you District 3 members have anything special you want published, please feel free to contact me. I will start with an announcement of a personal nature. Some of you may know that I lost my mom last October. She underwent quadruple bypass surgery in February 2005 and had just begun cardiovascular rehabilitation the week before she passed away. Thank you to all of my friends for your words of sympathy and encouragement. You have no idea how you all touched my heart. I love my court reporting family. Dixie Boutwell is an official court reporter in Coffee County for Judge Head. Her son Garrett Boutwell, along with the 3rd Battalion 117th Field Artillery National Guard Unit from Troy, Alabama, returned home from Iraq in February 2006. Welcome home, soldiers! Adreane Barrington is a court reporter who lives in Clanton. She has worked for the Chilton County district attorney’s office since graduating from Prince. Adreane is expecting a baby boy. He’s due on February, 21st, 2006. Mallory McCutchin is a freelance court reporter working for Dunn, King & Associates. Mallory just got engaged to be married. Congratulations! Penny Adams has worked as a court reporter for Federal Judge Inge Johnson. She and her husband, Billy, have an adorable six-year-old son named Trace. Penny was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and was in remission until March of 2005 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has had surgery to remove part of one lung and underwent chemotherapy. In July 2005 tumors were found in her brain. Even after treatment, it has spread throughout her body and into her bones. I am asking right now for everyone to pray for Penny and her family. Penny, know that your ACRA family loves you! can ultimately be the one to heal me. I know He doesn’t heal everyone, and we will never understand why He doesn’t heal everyone. We are never to question why. The hardest thing I’ve ever done is not question why He doesn’t heal everyone. Everyone has their story and their story is as big as mine, but if we lean on the Lord it makes it a little easier. Every time we lift someone’s name in prayer, they receive a blessing and feel God’s arms wrapped a little tighter around them, and the burden is a little easier to bear. A little bit of history about me for those of you who don’t know: In May 2000, I had a four-month-old baby boy and was then diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer. I underwent all the chemo and radiation my body could withstand. For the next five years I was doing great. I had the world by the tail. I had just turned the BIG 4-0, had a healthy, beautiful four-yearold, a great marriage, was exercising, was working on the biggest court reporting case I had ever worked on in my career, and was walking closer with God than I had ever walked. I was living the BIG life, the life I thought was with God. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t blame God for the news I was about to receive. I just have never been this close to God. God has plans for me, and the plans He has were not the plans I had. I’m not sure today what those plans are, but they are being revealed to me daily. Then I went to the doctor. I just went for a little sinus infection and a cough. I was losing some weight, but what 40-year-old doesn’t want to lose a few pounds? I was tired and fatigued, but I was working a lot of overtime on that big court reporting case. Well, the nurse heard me cough and said: “This isn’t in your head like a sinus infection; this is in your chest, like your lungs. Let’s do a chest X-ray.” They did a chest X-ray and found a tumor the size of a tennis ball sitting in the lower lobe of my right lung. Since then I’ve had multiple out-patient surgeries, one major surgery, one trip to the hospital in an ambulance because of a seizure. And I can’t count the number of doctor visits for one thing or another, whether chemo or radiation or just a checkup. The lung cancer has spread to my brain twice and to the spine. There’s one tumor protruding from my back. All of this the doctors have treated. Continued on page 6 13 Student Mentor Committee Jennifer L. Kissic, CSR Student Mentor Committee Chair Earning Those Enjoying Sheree Cater giving away those FABULOUS door prizes! CEU’s I hope that everyone is having a great start to the New Year. I wanted to first of all apologize for not being more prompt in getting students assigned to a mentor. I do have a reason. I had been preparing for my maternity leave and am currently taking care of my precious little baby girl who was born January 11. As many of you know, this wonderful bundle of joy changes your life and takes quite a bit of adjustment. She is truly a blessing! I do hope to email everyone very soon with their assigned student/mentor. I appreciate everyone’s answer to my request for participants in the student mentor program and for your patience and understanding. I was overwhelmed by your response. Jennifer Kissic Homecoming by Captain John F. Kilpatrick (a.k.a. John F. Kilpatrick, CLVS) Jane Boucher and Randall Murphree’s boots were boogying 12 Full Name_____________________________________________________________ Name while attending Prince (if different) _ __________________________________ Home Address__________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Home Phone Number____________________________________________________ Place of Employment____________________________________________________ Employment Address_ ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Employment Phone Number_______________________________________________ Email Address________________________ Year Graduated_____________________ You can fill the form out and return by: Thank you all! Friday Night Reception, The Reporter Roundup IF YOU ARE A GRADUATE OF PRINCE INSTITUTE, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR LATEST CONTACT INFORMATION? It’s hard to believe that over 14 months have passed since I was called to active duty and deCaptain John F. ployed to Kosovo. ThankKilpatrick fully, my tour is complete and I have returned home to my family. I left Kosovo on January 15th and then spent 12 days at Ft. Lewis, WA, out-processing. I made it back home to Mobile on January 27th and was greeted by a large group of family and friends. The week following my return was nothing more than an emotional blur while I tried to get reacquainted with my family. You can imagine the emotions of trying to relate to your two-year-old who hasn’t seen you for over a year. It’s been Mail Prince Institute of Professional Studies, Inc. 7735 Atlanta Highway • Montgomery, AL 36117 Fax: 334-271-1671 • Email: [email protected] two weeks now, and every day brings me closer to normal, though I’m not sure what that really means. I spent several days in Birmingham this week with my partner, Skip Warren, discussing the state of business and our industry. There is much work to be done, and I am anxious to begin. As most of you know, the ACRA Legal Video Committee was put on hold status last year, pending my return from military duty. We will reactivate the temporary committee with the hopes of making it a permanent committee by year’s end. I think it’s safe to say that video depositions are here to stay, and the use of legal video will continue to grow. NCRA published a paper recently on the state of legal video. I would encourage all court reporters to read it. If you’d like a copy, email me and I’ll forward it to you. NCRA’s paper discusses the need for legal videographers to develop good working relationships with the court reporters we support. That has been my goal from the time I began Legal Imaging and the main reason I suggested forming a legal video committee for ACRA. As we push for required certification for court reporters, we must also lobby for certified legal videographers as well. The video we produce is a vitally important part of the record and must be produced by capable and competent certified professionals. Without legislation, we videographers have only ourselves to govern our industry. The NCRA paper discusses the rapid growth of legal video and the influx of unqualified videographers. I highly encourage all of you to use and recommend only Certified Legal Video Specialists in your business. I look forward to working with all of you this year. Thanks to all of the ACRA family who extended prayers and support during my deployment. Please continue to pray for all our service members who are deployed around the world. 5 Application Changes for Renewal and New Membership by Diana Battles, CSR, RPR Vice President and Membership Chair In 2006 there will be some changes to the forms used for ACRA membership renewal and new membership applications. Please read them carefully and answer them completely. The information you provide will be used in the ACRA online database as well as in the next year’s membership roster. Complete information will speed the process of acknowledging payment, mailing certificates, etc. Testimony of Faith and Courage Continued from page 4 Tomorrow, on my 41st birthday, I begin radiation to protruding tumors in my arm, my neck, and whole brain radiation to my brain. I had a friend of mine say this weekend: “Well, at least you have a brain.” You remember I said God gives grace for the hour, but you don’t get the grace Speaking of the roster, please accept my humble apologies for the erroneous listings for some of our CSR’s. Some of you were mistakenly listed as general members instead of certified members. The CSR designation was included with your listing though and will show you as a certified member. If anyone was listed without the CSR designation, please let me know and I’ll be sure to note that for next year’s printing. Don’t forget to get your dues renewed on time. Late renewal becomes a sensitive issue for CSR’s when dues are late, as they face losing their CSR status. Circle the June 1st date on your calendar now to help you remember. One last note. Whenever you have a change in your name, address, e-mail address, any phone numbers, or the like, please go online to www.alcra.org and update your information. This will help us contact you with any information that may need your immediate response. If you’ve never accessed your information, your last name is your default password. It is case sensitive and is capitalized as a proper noun would be. After that, please change your password so no one else will be able to change your data. It is your responsibility to keep your contact information up to date so that your ACRA renewal forms, etc., will be received in a timely fashion. Thanks for helping keep your contact information current. until the hour comes? That’s one thing I’ve learned: The grace will come, but not until the hour comes. For some that grace comes sooner than later, and we are not to question why or when. We are just to pray for peace and guidance and believe in what the Bible says in Joshua and Matthew: “I will be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. I will not be afraid, neither will I be dismayed, for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go. He never rejects me but has promised to be with me always.” No one knows what the next year brings. No one knows how close our walk will be with God, but with your prayers I know my family and our walk with Jesus will be greater. IF YOU WANT TO CRACK THE CASE, USE POWER TOOLS. 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 205-326-6070 (BIRMINGHAM) • 888-662-7556 (TOLL FREE) • 334-262-7556 Information Access. Personal Response. THE NEW POWER OF REPORTING. ACRA DISTRICT 4 DIRECTOR – Kathryn W. Sharpe, CSR ACRA LEGISLATION CHAIR – Parian Holderfield, CSR, RPR, RMR ACRA PAST PRESIDENT – Suzanne Frazier, CSR, RPR ACRA PHOTOGRAPHER – Misty Whitworth, CSR ACRA PRESIDENT – Alan Peacock, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC ACRA PRESIDENT-ELECT – Randall Murphree, CSR ACRA PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR – Margaret Turner, CSR, RPR ACRA SECRETARY – Kathy Hicks, CSR, RPR ACRA TREASURER – Julia Isenhower, CSR, RPR ADVANTAGE SOFTWARE – SEARCHMASTER AMERICAN COURT REPORTING BAIN & ASSOCIATES BOGGS REPORTING – Jeanna Boggs, CSR DIXIE BOUTWELL, CSR COVER YOUR ASSETS DICTATION EQUIPMENT COMPANY – Ron Allen ESQUIRE DEPOSITION SERVICES FREEDOM COURT REPORTING HUNTSVILLE REPORTING, INC. – Tammy Hastings, CSR, RPR, CRR ISBELL & ASSOCIATES LEGAL IMAGING – Skip Warren LIVINGSTON ENTERPRISES STENO REPAIR – Ross Livingston PRATT PUB PRINCE INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES PROCAT REAGAN REPORTERS – Karen B. Drinkard, CSR LOIS ROBINSON & ASSOCIATES SASSER SCOPING – Joyce Sasser, CSR STENED STENOGRAPH – Gil Claborn STENOVATIONS – Andrea Martin, CSR, RPR, RMR, RDR, CRR, CBC T-3 TOTAL TRANSCRIPT TRANSFER TAHITIAN NONI INTERNATIONAL TYLER, EATON, MORGAN, NICHOLS & PRITCHETT, INC. From the Desk of the President Continued from front cover we/she did not know how to spell. In other news, Deanna Johnson, CSR, RPR, FAPR, has resigned her position as chairman of ACRA’s Long-Term Convention Planning Committee. We would like to thank Deanna for her many years of service in this position. The new chairman of this committee is Celeste Owen Riddle. If any of you have any suggestions for future sites for a conference or convention, contact Celeste at [email protected]. Thank you, Celeste, for jumping into this important area of responsibility and for your willingness to continue to give to ACRA. Karen Reagan Drinkard, CSR, also has resigned her position as Membership Retention Chairperson. Karen recently decided to go back to school and is currently enrolled at Auburn University at Montgomery. Chairing the committee and going to school full time can be overwhelming, so Karen is stepping down to focus on her studies. We wish her the best! Her position has been filled by Janet Russo Hereford. Janet has agreed to step in and is very excited about starting this new position. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and we are all happy to have Janet on board. Later this month, three of our members will be attending the NCRA Legislative Workshop. Attending as representatives of ACRA will be Mary Hicks, CSR, RPR, and Sheree Cater, CSR. Candace Reed, CSR, will be attending as a representative of Prince Institute. We will look forward to hearing about their adventures in D.C. in the next issue of FTR. I would like to say “Welcome Back Home” to John Kilpatrick, CLVS, Chairman of ACRA’s Certified Legal Video Task Force. John has been on a tour of duty with the National Guard, and he has been serving primarily in Kosovo. We all owe him a salute and a thank you for his service. Welcome home, John. If any of you would like to write John personally, his email is john. [email protected]. That’s the news for now from my corner of the state. Oh, yeah. One last wish: I hope everyone has a Happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bons temps rouler! 11 Distinguished Service Award Nominations Distinguished Service Award Nominations are currently being accepted by the DSA Committee. The purpose of the DSA is to encourage and recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members in good standing of ACRA for the benefit of the profession. That may include work as a member, committee member, director, or officer of the association, for the ACRA newsletter, or in the field of public affairs or public relations. No officer, director, or member of the DSA Committee is eligible to receive the award while serving in such capacity. Nominations of candidates may be submitted by an ACRA member in good standing to the DSA committee, together with supporting information. The DSA Committee is comprised of Paul D. Smith, CSR, RPR, 2005 DSA Recipient; Alan Peacock, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC, ACRA President; and Suzanne Frazier, CSR, RPR, ACRA Immediate Past President. Nominations should be submitted to Alan Peacock no later than March 31, 2006, at peacock43@comcast. net or by mailing to 1960 Old Government Street, Mobile, AL 36606. 10 Dates To Remember March 7-18, 2006 – NCRA’s CLVS seminar, San Mateo, California March 19, 2006 -- NCRA Certified Legal Video Forum, San Mateo, California March 31-April 2, 2006 -- NCRA Midyear Conference, Nashville, Tennessee Saturday, April 8, 2006 -- ACRA Board meeting, the offices of Dunn, King & Associates, 431 South Court Street, Montgomery, 10:30 a.m. July 20-22, 2006 – ACRA Summer Convention, Mobile, Alabama, Riverview Marriott August 3-6, 2006 -- NCRA Annual Convention and Exposition, New York To pique your interest, keep the following in mind: FUTURE ACRA CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION SITES 2007 -- Midwinter Conference, Tuscaloosa Summer Convention, Opelika 2008 – Midwinter Conference (Undecided) Summer Convention, Alabama Gulf Coast 2009 – Midwinter Conference (Undecided) Summer Convention, Alabama Gulf Coast Note that the “undecided” locations include: The Legends at Prattville; Sheraton 280, Birmingham; Embassy Suites, Montgomery; Cruise departing from Mobile; The Shoals in North Alabama. If you have a preference, please contact Celeste Riddle, ACRA Convention Planning Chairperson at [email protected] HB201 and SB20’s Progress in 2006 Legislative Session By Suzanne B. Frazier, CSR, RPR Legislative Committee Chair Politics! “Gotta” love it? As part of a legislative update on the progress of ACRA’s Certified Court Reporter bill in the 2006 Session of the Alabama Legislature, let me enSuzanne Frazier lighten you on the process that must be completed for the bill to be passed into law. First the bill is filed, as ours were, by the respective sponsors in the House and Senate. No bill can become an act until it has been read on three separate days in each branch. Reference to committee immediately follows the first reading of the bill. When the bill is considered and adopted, this is called a third reading. It is at the third reading of the bill that the whole branch gives consideration to the bill’s passage. At this time, the bill may be studied in detail, debated, amended, and read at length before final passage. Therefore, the third reading is essential to the passage of our bill. HB201 and SB20 were identical bills filed in the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate to expedite passage through the legislative system. HB201 has successfully passed through the House and SB20 has successfully passed through the Senate. That would appear to be news that the CCR bill is ready to go to Governor Riley for his signature. Unfortunately, that is not the case, but it is not far from being it. I will do my best to offer an explanation of the CCR bill’s status at FTR press time. As HB201 passed through the House of Representatives, it was amended. The amendments were inconsequential; however, any variance in wording between HB201 and SB20 need to be clarified. Your ACRA Legislative Committee is diligently attempting to tie up any and all loose ends that stand in the way of passage. We have gotten clarification from the Legislative Reference Department’s Richard Kennemer as to the wording needed. It seems that a change was made in the initial HB201 bill so that “Judicial Council” would be worded “Judicial College.” The other amendment to HB201 had to do with standard Sunset Law provisions. Mr. Kennemer clarified the “standard” language for us novice court reporting “politicians.” The Sunset Law language simply indicates that every four years all bills establishing a board come under the provisions of the Sunset Law of 1981. As the Certified Court Reporter bill would establish an Alabama Board of Court Reporters, the CCR bill would also come under the provisions of the Sunset Law of 1981. Thank you, Rep. Bill Clark, for your diligence again this year in securing passage of our CCR bill, HB201, through the House of Representatives. Thank you, Sen. Zeb Little, for your persistence this year in seeing that SB20 passed successfully through the Alabama Senate and did not fail passage as happened in the 2005 legislative session. Passage of either bill – HB201 or SB20 -- will accomplish our long-awaited goal: certification for court reporters in the state of Alabama! Be part of history in the making. Contact your House representative today and ask for passage of SB20 in their branch of the legislature. You can easily locate your representative’s contact information at: www.legislature.state.al.us . Once you access that website, simply click on the “House” link. From there, click on “Find Your Representative.” You can select by “Zip Code” or by “District.” PLEASE send a letter to your representative now and call to urge their support of SB20. YOUR action may just be the catalyst needed for CCR’s success! Watch your email for updates as this legislative session progresses. ‘ Where Are They Now? By Mary Frances Giattina, CSR, RPR, RMR, RDR, CRR HOME FROM THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY Dixie Boutwell’s son Garrett Boutwell returned home in February from his tour of duty with the 3rd Battalion 117th Field Artillery of the National Guard Unit from Troy, Alabama. Dixie is an official court reporter in Coffee County for Judge Head. ACRA’s very own Captain John Kilpatrick returned from a 14-month tour of duty in Kosovo. Special thanks to Garrett, John, and the many others who serve our United States Armed Forces. CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW NCRA CERTIFIED REPORTERS Congratulations and well done to the following ACRA members for the new certifications they earned from NCRA in November 2005: New CRR: Leah J. Sharp, CSR, RPR, CRR (Certified Realtime Reporter) – Birmingham, AL New RDR: Sabrina Lewis, CSR, RPR, RMR, RDR (Registered Diplomate Reporter) – Birmingham, AL New CCP: Andrea Martin, CSR, RPR, RMR, RDR, CRR, CBC, CCP (Certified CART Provider) – Dothan, AL WEDDING BELLS Shannon Pynes, a freelance reporter from Millbrook, became Shannon Yost on November 5, 2005. Jennifer Kissic, of Alpine, gave birth to Layla Madilyn Kissic January 11, 2006, at 12:42 p.m. at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham. Layla weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. Mia Jacobs-Turner, of Marion, gave birth to Nia BellaMarie Turner January 31, 2006. Ashley Dickey, of Birmingham, gave birth to Morgan Brooke Dickey Tuesday, February 21, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Morgan weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. Daddy Brad says he has the two prettiest babies in the world – Ashley and Morgan! WISHING YOU A SPEEDY RECOVERY! Winters O. “Butch” Hope, of Birmingham, was finishing last-minute Christmas decorations outside his home when he suffered an accident. Seven feet off the ground on a ladder, he became off balance. Attempting to keep from getting tangled in the ladder and possibly hitting his head in the inevitable fall, Butch jumped to the ground and knew instantly he was injured. He suffered a severe compression fracture to T-12 and a shattered right heel. He reports that his boot looks similar to something a cyborg would wear. Currently getting around on crutches, Butch is facing long-term physical therapy but vows to beat his current disability. Get well soon, Butch! NEW MOMMIES Laura Fant, of Mobile, gave birth to Wyatt Austin Fant October 18, 2005. Wyatt weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces at birth. His mommy says he is gorgeous! Wyatt makes three sons for the Fant family: eight years, seven years, and three months. church where she keeps busy with volunteer activities. After chatting for an hour and a half on a Sunday afternoon with Sara, I felt I had caught up with an old friend. Sara told me she’d love to hear from other friends within the association and from her former students. Her email address and contact information are listed here. Welcome back to Alabama, Sara! Ms. Sara G. Prince 504 Seminole Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 (334) 269-9270 [email protected] If you have someone in mind you think we’d like to “catch up with,” please email Mary Frances Giattina at mfgiattina@aol. com. Or if you happen to read this article and know you’ve been off ACRA’s radar screen for a while and have some interesting news, contact Mary Frances as well. DUNN, KING & ASSOCIATES, L.L.C. REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL REPORTERS Pat Higgins, CSR, RPR, Firm Owner Jenny Dunn, CSR, RDR, CRR, CBC, Founder Dee Johnson, RPR Greta Duckett, CSR, RPR Dawn Ashcraft, Graduate of Prince Institute Wendy Lewis, Graduate of Prince Institute Sherry Mack, Graduate of Prince Institute Carla Henderson, Graduate of Prince Institute LOOK WHO’S EXPECTING! Adreane Barrington, Clanton, is expecting a baby boy February, 21, 2006 Stacy Littleton, of Anniston, is expecting a baby boy in May Tasha Scott, Montgomery, is expecting her bundle of joy July 28, 2006 Have you ever wondered where a former classmate or teacher went that you’ve lost contact with over the years? On the long trip back from our Annual Convention in Gatlinburg last year, I thought of people who had a great impact on our training and success as court reporters who are no longer in our circle of friends and that we seldom or rarely see at conventions or have contact with in our day-to-day lives. So, in this and future publications of For The Record, I will attempt to locate some of our dear friends and colleagues from the past and give you an update on what they are up to. The first person I thought of locating hasn’t really been away from us very long – she has just moved on to new and interesting “chapters” in her life. I’m sure most everyone in our association knows Sara Prince, the founder and former owner and director of Prince Institute of Professional Studies in Montgomery. After retiring and handing over the reins in January of 2000 -- after almost 25 years as a court reporting educator -- Sara set about completing a novel she had started while still at Prince Institute. Sara’s sister lured her down to Port Richey, Florida, about six months after her retirement when a condo went on the market next door. Sara moved to Florida. She continued work on her novel and has had a few things published. Last summer, after having become disenchanted with the progress on her book, Sara made plans to join her daughter Kathy and move to Washington, D.C., for a change of scenery. When Stephanie, Sara’s other daughter, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, Sara decided to nix the Washington plans and move back to Montgomery to live with Stephanie as she battles RA. They purchased a home in the Arrowhead section of Montgomery. Sara is still working on her novel. I am sure we will hear about it when it’s published. Stay tuned! Sara remains in contact with friends she and her late husband, Charles, knew from the Air Force and friends at her SINCEREST SYMPATHIES Rachel Isbell, of Branchville, lost her nine-year-old son Lane Ford in a four-wheeler accident on September 12, 2005. Rachel invites the prayers of all her ACRA family of reporters as she and her family deal with their tragic loss. In Memory of Dustin Lane Ford ~ September 21, 1995 to September 12, 2005 COURT REPORTERS OFFERING: Quick turnaround • Daily copy • Realtime • Certified Videographer Online transcript repository • ASCII disks Compressed, duplexed and timestamped transcripts E-transcripts printable in condensed format and viewable with hyperlinked word index 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) 263-1243 email: [email protected] MEETING AND EXCEEDING STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1982 9
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