Deb Shields remembers her first day as a court reporter in 1975. It was “baptism by fire” as she took down the record of a criminal trial involving a drunken driver. “That's a long ways back to remember, but I know I was very nervous,” Shields said. “When asked to read back an answer regarding field sobriety tests, instead of reading back, I just asked the witness to repeat what he said. ”Shields said she was concerned about her misstep in front of the jury because she found out later the case was being appealed and she had to prepare a transcript. She was relieved to find all her notes were good.“Even though it was a stressful first day, I knew I had made the right choice to become a court reporter,” she said. Shields, 62, retires Thursday from the.....MORE
