What To Do If
You Personally Know the Parties at a Deposition?
By Jan Schmitt – RPR, CSR, CCR – Principal, Washington
Q: What do I do if I personally know the parties at a deposition?
A: Be prepared to contact your reporting office to help find a replacement, should the parties decide this is an issue that prevents the deposition from proceeding with you as the reporter. If the parties feel there is no issue, get ready to report. And remember, we must preserve the confidentiality of all parties in proceedings.
Our code of ethics is clear that we must remain alert to the fact or appearance of a conflict of interest and immediately notify all parties present at the proceedings if a conflict exists. But what if it’s not a conflict, rather you personally know one of the parties or the witness? Notify all parties present at the proceeding of your relationship/acquaintance and ask how they would like to proceed.
Be prepared to contact your reporting office to help find a replacement, should the parties decide this is an issue that prevents the deposition from proceeding with you as the reporter. If the parties feel there is no issue, get ready to report. And remember, we must preserve the confidentiality of all parties in proceedings.
Here are some steps you can take to perhaps avoid being in this position:
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- Read through the job information and notice, if one is provided, as soon as you receive it.
- Stay abreast of your local news.
- Read the daily vital statistics for marital divorce petitions in your local newspaper.
- Google the parties involved in the case as well as the witness(es).
Finding information about the case you are assigned to not only better prepares you for the job, it also can alert you to possible conflicts.
Have you been in an “on the job” situation that you were unsure how to handle?
Email us at [email protected] with a scenario you’d like a solution for!
Jan Schmitt – RPR, CSR, CCR – Principal, Washington
Jan Schmitt has been a professional court reporter for over 30 years, working in Portland, Oregon and Southwest Washington. Her experience and professionalism has attracted and retains the top court reporters and videographers in the region. Our court reporters average over 20 years of experience, with most of them having worked with Jan their entire career. Jan continues to report as well, as she enjoys the client contact and the relationships that develop over years of reporting.
