Study guide
14.2 Types of Cases & the Order of Court and Non-Court Proceedings
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1 Chapter 1: CET Exam Orientation
1.1 The CET Credential, Exam Format & Eligibility 1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan
2 Chapter 2: Ethics, Conflicts of Interest & Confidentiality
2.1 Ethical Obligations & Avoiding the Appearance of Impropriety 2.2 Conflicts of Interest: Recognizing and Handling Them 2.3 Confidentiality, NDAs, File Security & HIPAA
3 Chapter 3: Professional Behavior, Multi-Channel Audio & Equipment
3.1 Professional Behavior: Impartiality, the Accurate Record & Service 3.2 Multi-Channel Recording & How to Play Channels 3.3 Troubleshooting, Technical Escalation & Equipment Maintenance
4 Chapter 4: Proofreading, Spelling, Capitalization & Numbers
4.1 Proofreading vs. Literary Editing & Why Spelling Matters 4.2 Capitalization in a Transcript 4.3 Numbers in a Transcript
5 Chapter 5: [sic], Abbreviations, Clauses & Commas
5.1 [sic] and Abbreviations 5.2 Clauses & the Core Comma Rules 5.3 Commas in Testimony: Address, Introductory Words, Appositives, Series & Tags
6 Chapter 6: End Punctuation, Colons, Semicolons & Quotation Marks
6.1 Periods, Question Marks & Exclamation Points 6.2 Colons & Semicolons 6.3 Quotation Marks in a Transcript
7 Chapter 7: Apostrophes, Dashes, Hyphens, Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses
7.1 Apostrophes: Possessives, Contractions & Plurals 7.2 Dashes & Hyphens: Interruptions, Breaks and Compounds 7.3 Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses
8 Chapter 8: Federal Format, Title Page & Index Page
8.1 Federal District Court Format & Page Specifications 8.2 The Title Page 8.3 The Index Page
9 Chapter 9: Proceedings Page, Headers, Certificate & Colloquy
9.1 The Proceedings Page, Calls to Order & Page Headers 9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate 9.3 Colloquy, Question-and-Answer Format & Paragraphing
10 Chapter 10: Oaths, Parentheticals, Exhibits & Special Procedures
10.1 Swearing Witnesses, Parenthetical Notations & Exhibits 10.2 Quoted Material, Words Spelled on the Record & Italics for Non-English Words 10.3 Strikes, Playbacks, Recordings Played, Asides & Sidebars
11 Chapter 11: Special Designations, Interpreters, Remote Jobs & Verbatim Rules
11.1 Certified Questions, Redactions & Confidential Designations 11.2 Interpreters, Videographers & Remote Proceedings 11.3 Verbatim Transcription: Tics, Substantive Words & Chopped-Down Speech
12 Chapter 12: Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Transcriber Judgment Calls
12.1 Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Nonverbal Responses 12.2 Log Notes, Case Information, the Court Reporter & Judgment Calls on Names and Speakers
13 Chapter 13: Page Estimates, Originals & Copies, Drafts & Research
13.1 Page Estimates, Original vs. Copy & Rough and Expedited Transcripts 13.2 References, Internet Research & Understanding the Case
14 Chapter 14: Proceedings, Case Types & the Life Cycle of a Case
14.1 Types of Proceedings & Federal Read and Sign 14.2 Types of Cases & the Order of Court and Non-Court Proceedings 14.3 The Life Cycle of a Case
15 Chapter 15: Parties, Legal Documents, Jurisdiction & Venue
15.1 Parties, Participants & Types of Witnesses 15.2 Reading Legal Documents & Using the Docket 15.3 Jurisdiction, Venue & Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings
16 Chapter 16: Case Law, Citations & Jury Selection
16.1 Case Law & the Elements of a Case Citation 16.2 Jury Selection (Voir Dire) & Bench vs. Jury Trials
17 Chapter 17: Legal & Latin Terminology
17.1 Legal Terminology I: Pleadings, Motions, Orders & Procedure 17.2 Legal Terminology II: Evidence, Objections, Rulings & Trial Terms 17.3 Latin Terminology I: Procedure, Courts & Parties 17.4 Latin Terminology II: Doctrine, Evidence & Criminal Law
18 Chapter 18: Medical Terminology
18.1 Medical Terminology I: Word Parts, Directions & Anatomy 18.2 Medical Terminology II: Conditions, Procedures, Medications & Sound-Alikes
14.2 Types of Cases & the Order of Court and Non-Court Proceedings
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Civil cases resolve private disputes, usually for money or court orders; criminal cases are prosecuted by the government and can lead to fines, probation or incarceration.
A typical jury trial runs: jury selection, opening statements, plaintiff's or prosecution's case, defense case, rebuttal, closing arguments, jury instructions, deliberation and verdict.
In federal criminal trials, FRCrP 29.1 has the government open closing argument, the defense reply, and the government give the rebuttal.
Under FRCP 51(b)(3), a federal court may instruct the jury before or after the arguments, and it must give the parties an opportunity to object on the record.
A deposition opens with the officer's statement and oath, proceeds through examinations by each attorney, and closes with read-and-sign and custody stipulations.
Last updated: September 2026
Blueprint topics 40202 and 40203 ask you to describe the different types of cases and identify the order of court and non-court proceedings.
Types of cases
Type What it covers Parties (typical) Transcriber notes
Civil Contracts, torts (personal injury), property, employment, civil rights Plaintiff v. Defendant Depositions dominate; many medical and technical terms
Criminal Felonies, misdemeanors, infractions United States / State / People / Commonwealth v. Defendant Defendant's presence noted; plea colloquies; sentencing
Family / domestic relations Divorce, custody, support, protective orders Petitioner and Respondent Often confidential; minors' names protected
- Probate Wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships In re Estate of... Financial and medical detail
- Juvenile Delinquency and dependency (abuse/neglect) In re [initials] Usually closed and confidential
- Bankruptcy Debtor relief under federal law In re [Debtor] ; trustee; creditors Federal bankruptcy courts
Administrative Agency adjudications (benefits, licenses, immigration) Claimant or respondent and agency ALJ speaker IDs
Appellate Review of lower-court decisions Appellant and appellee (or petitioner and respondent) Oral argument; no witnesses
The order of a trial
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Details that affect the transcript:
Preliminary matters are usually colloquy outside the jury's presence.
Jury selection may or may not be transcribed; it is often ordered only when an issue arises (Chapter 16).
Opening statements are colloquy headed by a centered line such as PLAINTIFF'S OPENING STATEMENT . The defense may reserve its opening until its own case.
Each side's case consists of witness examinations in the order direct, cross, redirect, recross, and possibly further examinations, with exhibits marked and received. The index tracks each.
Resting and motions. When a side rests ( PLAINTIFF RESTS , a centered event line under the Guide ), the other side may move for judgment: a motion for judgment as a matter of law in civil cases (FRCP 50) or for a judgment of acquittal in criminal cases (FRCrP 29), usually outside the jury's hearing.
Rebuttal answers the defense case, and surrebuttal, if allowed, answers the rebuttal. Recalled witnesses are marked RECALLED (Chapter 10).
Closing arguments. In federal criminal trials, FRCrP 29.1: "the government argues; the defense argues; and the government rebuts." Civil trials usually follow the same pattern with the plaintiff first and last.
Instructions. FRCP 51(b)(3) lets the court instruct "at any time before the jury is discharged," before or after the arguments, and objections to instructions must be made on the record.
Verdict. The foreperson or clerk reads the verdict; the jury may be polled one by one.
A bench trial follows the same order without jury selection, jury notations or instructions; the judge decides (Chapter 16).
The order of a deposition
Pre-deposition stipulations , if any (often "the usual stipulations," reserving objections except as to form).
Officer's opening statement (FRCP 30(b)(5)(A)): officer's name and business address, date, time and place, deponent, persons present.
Oath or affirmation.
Examination by the noticing attorney , then by other attorneys, then further examinations.
Exhibits marked as they are introduced.
Read and sign or waiver (FRCP 30(e); Section 14.1).
Officer's closing statement : the deposition is complete, with stipulations about custody of the transcript and exhibits (30(b)(5)(C)).
Other non-court proceedings
Arbitration: opening statements, claimant's case, respondent's case, closing statements or post-hearing briefs.
EUO and statements: identification of those present, oath, questioning, closing.
Meetings: call to order, roll call, approval of minutes, agenda items, motions and votes, adjournment.
Expecting this order helps catch gaps: a closing argument with no ruling on a pending motion, or a witness who testifies without being sworn, is worth rechecking against the audio.
Using the order to check your transcript
You notice Check the audio for
Cross-examination starts with no oath line before any direct A missed swearing-in, or a witness who is RESUMED or RECALLED
The plaintiff "rests" but a pending motion is never ruled on A ruling at sidebar or after a recess
A closing argument refers to "the instructions you just heard" Instructions given before argument, as FRCP 51(b)(3) allows
An exhibit is discussed as "received" but the index shows only marking A receipt ruling you missed, or a misstatement (Chapter 5)