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appreciate you being here.

Now, as we go forward I want to explain a
couple things that are going to occur here. The lady in
the middle of the courtroom here, speaking into what
looks like a mask, she is the court reporter. She
basically is responsible to make a record of these entire
proceedings. She will take down everything that is said.
When I am speaking now she i~ taking it down. When you
speak she is taking it down. When the lawyers speak she
is taking it down. It is important for us to be mindful
of that when we have an opportunity to speak, we need to
speak loudly, slowly, clearly so that she can understand
what we say. Please be sensitive to that when you have
an opportunity to speak. Speak so that she can hear you,
so that she doesn’t have to say, sir, ma’am, I can’t hear
you. Also understand that she can’t take down shakes of
the head or nods. She has to have an oral articulation
of a response. Be sensitive to that.

We humans communicate in a variety of
different ways, and it’s not always orally, but we need
to communicate for that purpose. Because she will take
down these entire proceedings we will do things from time
to time, or say things that may appear obvious to you,
but we will have to say them so the record will reflect
who is in and out of the courtroom, for example, and what