XENIA — The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) recently announced that a local court reporter has earned the nationally recognized Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) certification.
Julie Hohenstein, the Official Realtime Court Reporter for Judge Stephen A. Wolaver at the Greene County Common Pleas Court, has earned the certification having demonstrated her ability to produce a high-quality verbatim record, according to NCRA — the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters.
RMR credentials distinguish stenographic court reporters as being among the top contributors to the profession in terms of reporting skills, transcript production, operating practices, and professionalism.
“Earning the RMR credential is quite a step forward in a court reporter’s career, especially given the amount of preparation and knowledge that successful candidates must possess to pass,” said Dave Wenhold, CEO and executive director of NCRA. “RMRs are among the top stenographic court reporters in the profession. NCRA currently has approximately 3,000 members who hold this prestigious certification.”
Hohenstein, from Troy, is a member of NCRA and has worked as a court reporter for 27 years. She also holds the professional certification of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), and Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR).
To be recognized as a RMR, candidates must pass a skills writing test that evaluates both speed and accuracy of various portions of court proceedings, including Literary (Congressional record type material) at 200 words per minute, Jury Charge at 240 words per minute, and two-voice Testimony at 260 words per minute. Each test must be passed at a minimum of 95 percent accuracy. Ms. Hohenstein scored a 98 percent, 97 percent and 97 percent respectively in one month’s time.
“Having attained my RMR and CRR is a career goal that I set for myself, and I am so ecstatic to have finally accomplished it,” Hohenstein said. “It’s great to know that I am one of the elite in my field, and I have the respect of my fellow court reporters and colleagues. I am proud to say that I am a member of NCRA and have been since I was in Court Reporting School at Clark State Community College, Springfield, Ohio. I feel the skills that I bring to our courtroom are an invaluable asset to the citizens of Greene County, Ohio.”
The RMR and CRR certifications give Hohenstein the confidence to provide instant translation (Realtime) via iPads every day for Wolaver and both counsel in the courtroom.
“An accurate and permanent record is essential to protecting the Constitutional Rights of all parties involved in the proceedings. There is no better way to do this than with an actual live, in-person court reporter, and Julie does an outstanding job of making the court record,” Wolaver said.
