Practice the hard copy of this article.  Guidelines on how to practice from a hard copy can be found at “Court Reporting III.”

LOS ANGELES – LOS ANGELES (AP) – A suspected member of a burglary ring that stole cash, jewelry and clothing from celebrities’ homes has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles.

Alexis Neirs, 18, of Thousand Oaks is one of five people charged with felony burglary for an alleged spree that began last fall, targeting the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and others.

Neirs is one of two Conejo Valley women among a group of young people charged in a string of burglaries that targeted a who’s who of young celebrities that has grown to include Ashley Tisdale, Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green, authorities said.

Neirs entered the plea to a burglary charge on Monday and her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1. She is accused of burglarizing Orlando Bloom’s Los Angeles-area home on July 15.

She remains free on bail. If convicted, she could face up to six years in state prison.

Police in Los Angeles and Las Vegas say the burglars trawled the Internet to find celebrity homes and learn when their owners were away.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/16/alleged-celeb-burglar-pleads-not-guilty-in-la/

There are many words below that can be briefed or phrased that are not in the above list . Feel free to brief and phrase.

1.)

He was

He was charged with assault

He was charged with assault and battery

He was charged with assault and battery Monday.

2.)

She also

She also seeks to

She also seeks to recover

She also seeks to recover damages based

She also seeks to recover damages based on a claim

She also seeks to recover damages based on a claim of battery.

3.)

Battery

Battery is defined as

Battery is defined as simple

Battery is defined as simple battery

Battery is defined as simple battery and battery

Battery is defined as simple battery and battery with serious injury.

4.)

As a matter of

As a matter of public

As a matter of public policy

As a matter of public policy, the Court

As a matter of public policy, the Court cannot say.

5.)

I instruct

I instruct you, as a matter of law

I instruct you, as a matter of law, that you must

I instruct you, as a matter of law, that you must leave.

6.)

Ask yourself

Ask yourself as a matter of fact

Ask yourself as a matter of fact if he

Ask yourself as a matter of fact if he did it.

7.)

The defendant

The defendant argues

The defendant argues that he was

The defendant argues that he was not

The defendant argues that he was not there.

8.)

Closing arguments

Closing arguments are not

Closing arguments are not evidence.

9.)

I was

I was in an

I was in an argument

I was in an argument with Monica.

10.)

Were his

Were his injuries

Were his injuries aggravated

Were his injuries aggravated due to the

Were his injuries aggravated due to the assault?

11.)

Aggravated

Aggravated battery

Aggravated battery requires that the

Aggravated battery requires that the alleged victim

Aggravated battery requires that the alleged victim suffer an injury.

12.)

Aggravated

Aggravated assault

Aggravated assault in some courts

Aggravated assault in some courts is a

Aggravated assault in some courts is a stronger form of

Aggravated assault in some courts is a stronger  form of assault.

13.)

Aggravated

Aggravated battery

Aggravated battery may be a

Aggravated battery may be a lesser included

Aggravated battery may be a lesser included offense.

14.)

Aggravated

Aggravated robbery

Aggravated robbery involves use

Aggravated robbery involves use of a

Aggravated robbery involves use of a weapon.

This is a list of 100 multisyllabic words. This is great for the theory student to reinforce fundamental writing techniques. This is great for the student trying to pass their lit. This is great for the student heading out the workforce. This is great for anyone trying to pass an national exam or win a champion speed test. Everyone needs to know how to write words out.

I only brief a few of these words. If you have briefs for some of the below words, use them; I want you to know your briefs. For the words you do not brief, write them in a way so you can readback.

• Elephant
• periscope
• Exterminate
• Turpentine
• Confiscate
• Interfere
• Crocodile
• accessible
• Stethoscope
• Destitute
• Judicious
• irrevocable
• depreciation
• Encyclopedia
• Obstinate
• Luncheon
• Solitary
• Desolate
• disbursement
• Voucher
• Tyranny
• Absorbent
• Metronome
• wrestle
• Cognitive
• Xylophone
• Equilibrium
• Nuisance
• Librarian
• magnify
• Acoustics
• Numerator
• Erroneous
• Amorous
• Diurnal
• Allotted
• Excessive
• oblique
• Domesticate
• Newsstand
• abbreviate
• microscope
• Commute
• Termite
• Isotope
• Electron
• hibernate
• Integrate
• Delegate
• telescope

I wish I could make some dictation for this exercise, but I really don’t have the ability to do two-voice. I’m sure if you would send this to your teacher, he wouldn’t mind dictating it during endurance/drill writing sessions.

For those who will not have this dictated, I feel the best way to develop ears-to-fingers coordination is by reading each word out as you stroke it. This is not a speed exercise; this is an accuracy development and hesitation-busting exercise.

Below are suggested briefs that I found using Brief Encounters.

Resident REZ
Residence -RZ
Residency RAOEZ
Residential R-RBL
Reside ROID

***Remember that “resident” is the person and “residence” is the location. Resident is sometimes used as an adjective.

TIP: Try changing the names of the states to the state you plan on working in and its neighboring states. This will help you prepare for the real world when you will be doing your own jobs. <3
Also get your Q & A symbols clear. There is no reason to be dropping and dragging letters doing these exercises.

+++++++++++++
Q. What is the address of your residence?
A. 14662 South Lane Drive, Washington D.C.
Q. Are you a citizen or resident?
A. I am a resident.

++++++++++++
Q. And the residence’s address is what?
A. 921 North Bay Street, Mobile, Alabama.
Q. Is that a residential community?
A. It’s a residential community.

+++++++++++++
Q. How long have you been a resident for?
A. I have been a resident of this state for five years.
Q. What is the address of your residence?
A. 8644 East Sunset Court Augusta, Georgia.
Q. Where were you a resident before?
A. I was a resident of the state of New York.
Q. How long were you a resident in New York for?
A. I resided in New York for approximately three years.
Q. What was the address of your residence in New York?
A. It was a residential area in the upper side of New York.
Q. Can you give me the address of the residence where you were residing?
A. I can’t remember the address my residence in New York at this time.
Q. Do you have anything that will refresh your recollection of the address of the residence where you were residing?
A. My mother resided there with me, she would know.
Q. Currently, where is your mother residing?
A. She is a resident of Florida, but her and I don’t talk much anymore.
Q. Is there any reason why you don’t speak often?
A. Well, she opposed the idea of me moving to Georgia.
Q. And why did you decide to reside in Georgia?
A. I’m a resident engineer at a local building?
Q. Is that the same as a residency?
A. Not at all.

He suffered

He suffered a fracture

He suffered a fracture to his left wrist on

He suffered a fracture to his left wrist on Monday

He suffered a fracture to his left wrist on Monday morning.

I don’t know

I don’t know if he wants

I don’t know if he wants to go

I don’t know if he wants to go out this Thursday

I don’t know if he wants to go out this Thursday night.

Would you please

Would you please rephrase

Would you please rephrase the question

Would you please rephrase the question for me.

Were you

Were you wearing

Were you wearing your

Were you wearing your seatbelt

Were you wearing your seatbelt at the time of the

Were you wearing your seatbelt at the time of the accident?

How old

How old were you

How old were you when the

How old were you when the accident

How old were you when the accident took place?

Did you

Did you attend

Did you attend the

Did you attend the deposition

Did you attend the deposition of the

Did you attend the deposition of the police officer?

These are FREE finger drills are to help master the -TD stroke.  I use -TD as a -th ending, in words such as: math,  teeth,  width, etc.  It is also commonly used for verbs ending with the T sound in the past tense (adopted, eliminated, etc.)

FYI, I use wide keys for -TD, I think it makes it easier on the pinky; however, it does cause me to shadow the -D sometimes.

-MGS is used for words ending in -mation. Words like: Formation, intimation, reclamation, summation, etc.

Practice these religiously until you have mastered them.

Anyway, while I was practicing I realized that I was getting at least 99% of what was being spoken. Another thing I realized is that I was not phrasing.

Phrasing is just as important (if not more) that briefing. It gives you a chance to catch up if you are falling behind, and gives you a perfect rhythm if you decide to trail the speaker.

Less strokes means the potential to get more words.

Now, everyone can understand how dissappointed I felt when I realized I wasn’t phrasing.

Here are some suggestions of phrases that we should incorporate into our everyday writing. This list isn’t much, but it was I picked up from one five-minute 225 QA dictation.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. And yes, you are right. There are many potential conflicts. For example AULT – All though; WHOS- whose; IRS- IRS; SHED- shed; THAU- thank you. Please refer to http://ladysteno.com/?p=131

Now, in order to for these phrasing options to make sense, one must understand the theory behind it.

This is not an exhaustive list; there are so many combinations for phrasing. What I have list above are the most important and easiest to add to your writing.

Now, you have all these great ways to start phrasing. It is very hard to change your style of writing. The way I find that works best to make a permanent change is by setting time aside to focus.

Here is the plan:

-Pick a dictation, any dictation, any speed.

-Take the dictation as you would any other dictation.

-Take the dictation again, keeping your ears alert for groups of words that you want to phrase.

-When you spot these groups of words, write them down in your 30 Words a Day notebook. Yes, your hands will be moving to and from the keys.

-When the take is over, look at your notebook and write down the brief you want to use

-Now, when you start doing the dictation you goal is only to make sure you have phrased the groups of words you wanted to phrase. Your goal is not to get every word, your goal is not even to get a 95%, your goal is for your ears to be trained that every time it hears “there was” your fingers respond with “THR-FS”

In the court reporting field, we constantly have goals.

As students, we want to get to 225!

As workers, we want to get all caught up.

Those are awesome goals. Any goal that we make for ourselves is admirable and important, as they keep us motivated and on the right path.  But when goals become so broad, they seem to become hard to acheive. These broad goals can easily become a source of discourage ment.

The best way to attain your goals is by breaking them down;  set up short term goals.

For students, make one of these your short term goals:

-This week I will transcribe at least one test.

-Today I will read back at least one dictation.

-Today I will do my finger drills.

-Today I will practice for four hours.

-This week I will turn my assignments in on time.

-This week I will volunteer to read back in front of the class.

As reporters we can do this

-Today I will do at least 100 pages.

-Today I will turn in all my appearances/catch up on all my invoices.

What I have started doing to keep up with all my pages is now I have told myself:

I will do 10 pages for every hour that I am up.  Of course that goal will not be attainable at all times, since there are times that I will be in depos, church, mall, etc. but there are other days when I am just frolicking around the house.  If I can stick to a simple goal like that, I will forever be caught up on my pages.

Another goal is to update AT LEAST once a week for the next month. So check in.