12.1 Core Courtroom Actions and Roles

Requests and rulings

A motion asks a court or neutral for relief. It may be written or oral. An order is the directive or decision that results, whether issued orally, entered in writing, or both under applicable practice. A ruling resolves a question presented during the proceeding. “Taken under advisement” means no immediate ruling was announced.

An objection challenges a question, answer, exhibit, or procedure. If sustained, the objection is accepted; if overruled, the challenged activity may generally proceed. A court may reserve ruling. The reporter captures the objection, grounds stated, responses, and ruling without deciding effect.

Evidence and advocacy

Testimony is evidence given by a witness under oath or affirmation. Exhibits are marked items that may be offered and admitted. Argument is counsel's advocacy and is not testimony. A proffer describes evidence a party expects to present, often to preserve an issue; it is not automatically admitted evidence. Judicial notice allows a court to accept certain facts or law without ordinary proof under governing rules.

A stipulation is an agreement by authorized parties about a fact or procedure. The reporter records it accurately but does not assume casual agreement is a formal stipulation.

Time and session terms

• Recess: temporary pause with expectation of resumption.
• Adjournment: ending or postponing a session, sometimes to a stated date.
• Continuance: postponement of a proceeding to a later time.
• Stay: suspension of a case, order, or enforcement.
• Calendar call/docket call: court review of scheduled matters.
• Session: defined block of proceeding activity.

Record status must still be explicit. “Let's take five” may indicate a recess, but the authorized announcement and system procedure control capture.

People and examination

Direct examination is initial questioning by the party presenting a witness; cross-examination follows by an opposing party; redirect and recross are later rounds. A deponent is the person whose deposition is taken. An affiant makes an affidavit, and a declarant makes a declaration or statement. A subpoena commands attendance, testimony, or production through legal process.

Counsel means attorney; co-counsel works with another attorney. Pro se means self-represented. Amicus curiae is a nonparty “friend of the court” permitted to offer information or argument.

Decisions and outcomes

A verdict is a jury's decision; findings are factual determinations, often by a judge; judgment is the formal disposition. Dismissal ends claims or a case, sometimes with or without prejudice. “With prejudice” generally bars refiling that claim; “without prejudice” generally leaves refiling possible subject to other law. Acquittal is a criminal determination of not guilty; it is not a civil dismissal.

Record terms

The record may include audio, transcript, pleadings, exhibits, docket entries, and orders as defined by the forum. Sealed restricts access by order or rule. Redacted means specified information is obscured in a version. In camera is private judicial consideration. Sidebar is a bench discussion. These terms are not synonyms.

Annotation discipline

Use the term stated or ruled. Do not annotate “evidence admitted” when counsel merely offered it, “case dismissed” when the judge continued it, or “witness recanted” when the witness corrected a date. Accurate vocabulary keeps logs from misleading later users.

Exam method

Many terminology questions hinge on paired opposites: sustain/overrule, direct/cross, recess/adjourn, verdict/judgment, sealed/redacted. Define each by function and actor rather than memorizing a loose synonym.

Exam application

Train with event sequences: counsel objects, the judge sustains, counsel rephrases, the witness answers, and later the court recesses rather than adjourns. Each term marks a different action or status. A weak annotation such as “issue handled” loses the ruling and sequence. A strong note identifies speaker, objection, ruling, new question, and record-status change at searchable times. Terminology knowledge is valuable because it makes concise notes precise without turning the reporter into a legal analyst.

Review checkpoint

Build terminology notes around actor and action. Counsel makes a motion; the judge rules; a witness gives testimony; a jury returns a verdict; the court enters judgment; parties may stipulate. A word attached to the wrong actor is often the clue that an annotation is inaccurate.

Also preserve procedural qualifiers. Dismissal with prejudice differs from dismissal without prejudice; a recess differs from adjournment; a reserved ruling differs from an overruled objection. Do not compress them into generic markers such as “done” or “break.” Specific terms make a shorter note more useful than a long, vague summary.