Attending court and taking notes on hearings can seem daunting at first, but there are a few ways to be prepared prior to stepping foot in the courtroom.
Get Motions And Material Up for Discussion
Whether you’re sitting through a full trial or a simple status conference, all court cases have a series of filings related to the case. Get a copy of the filings relevant to the court hearing you are going to attend. For example, reading both the defense and the prosecution briefs ahead of Alex Murdaugh’s status conference allowed the team to know what arguments each side would make in favor and against. Reading the documents filed ahead of a court date makes it easier to follow what’s happening in the courtroom — especially if you’ve never been before.
Decide Your Method for Taking Notes
The ability to use electronic devices varies from courthouse to courthouse and sometimes depends on the judge and even the case itself. If you are allowed to take a laptop computer and have decent typing skills, that is a great option for note-taking. For others, a pen and paper will suffice — or may be the only option if you can’t take a laptop. Another option is to record the hearing with your phone or with a freestanding voice recorder, but confirm with the clerk of court that it’s okay to record sometime before the day of the hearing. You can find contact information for the clerk of court by googling the county where the hearing is taking place plus the phrase “clerk of court.”
Have a Backup Plan
Pencils break, pens run out of ink, and computer batteries die. Always make sure you’ve got a backup way to take notes. That can include packing extra pens and paper and/or making sure you brought your laptop cord.
Get There Early to Sit Up Front
The view is better and it’s easier to hear conversations if you sit up front. Sometimes, front rows may be reserved for attorneys and court staff. A bailiff in the courtroom will let you know if a particular seat is reserved.
Method to the Madness
As for what to write down while taking notes, it’s very much like taking notes during lectures in schools, there are just more speakers to keep up with. Use the documents being discussed at the hearing as a road map for what to pay attention to. Here are some things to listen for and make note of:
- Objections
- By which party
- Why
- Judge’s ruling
- Exhibits
- Who entered the exhibit
- Its number
- What the exhibit is
- Witnesses
- Name, occupation, how they’re related to the case
- Which side called them
- Notes on their testimony
Double Check Yourself
If you were able to record the hearing, then checking yourself will be easy. You may also find that a local news channel had footage. In the case of large trials, you may even have footage from CourtTV or another justice-related entity to double check what was said in court.
For most court hearings, however, you’ll be on your own to check your notes for accuracy. The clerk of court can help fill in some of your questions, but there will be formal filings at the conclusion of hearings and trials. The most important thing about hearings is understanding what the judge ruled. For trials, the most important thing is the verdict.
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Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK® Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at LUNASHARK®, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight. Beth has her own solo podcast called Time of Death, which explores the 1992 homicide of Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in East Tennessee.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
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