Working as sub court reporter

By Fannie Smith

Memories
Posted 5/1/03

I began filling in the courts as a substitute court reporter in the 1950s. As usual, the courts were having emergencies with court reporters for various reasons such as the court reporter becoming ill. Before I came, it appeared to me the court had to recess when the court reporter got sick or wasn't available. The officials worked only for one judge. Since I was a few blocks from the courthouse, I could be there in 15 minutes.

As a substitute court reporter, this was their convenience. So I was called to work in the Minneapolis courts on an emergency basis. When I appeared to take over the reporting of a trial, some were surprised to find I was a woman and a machine writer besides.

Courts recessed because of my gender, a few times, or the matter was too sensitive for a lady's ears. The trial was continued to another day.

A few judges, with the lawyers of the case, had lengthy discussions in chambers and decided - so be it, and the case continued. I told them 1 had no trouble putting the testimony in writing, no matter what was said. They weren't ready. Gradually, the players in the courthouse got used to my appearing. When I came, the trials continued, without a word or hesitation.

Over the years, I was called to most of the Minnesota county seats, and a few in Wisconsin. I traveled over the state to help out judges who needed a temporary court reporter. By the time I got to a rural county seat, the judge and the lawyers involved were glad just to have a court reporter so they could continue the trial. Nothing much was said and I filled the need until the official could return. Likely, discussions took place before I was called. They believed it was all right, or they had no choice.

As either the public stenographer or the court reporter, I never cut the usual rates, as I best knew them, stayed a lady in my demeanor, and did my best job, delivering the finished work on time.

I wore a hat in the courtroom, like church, those days. One of the big issues in the court's chambers when a new case began was how to move the lady juror in the front row, with the big hat, to the back row so all the jurors could see what was going on. It was at times a serious problem because the ladies changed hats every day. However, the bailiff was assigned that duty, leaving the jurors to wonder about the legal significance of changing their places in the jury box, and never getting an answer.

The highly polished brass spittoons were another fixture in and outside the courtrooms as well as in the chambers. It was a part of the he-man to smoke cigars and chew tobacco. A judge had to be with it, so most every judge was one of those. A judge I witnessed in his chambers would aim from behind his desk for the spittoon near the door and let go - no less than 10 feet. After my first visit in his chambers, I sat in a chair a distance from the spittoon. I never saw him miss the 6 - 8 inch opening of the spittoon. I'd say that took some practice.