Court Reporter Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Study Resource

The phrase "mea culpa" translates from Latin to "my fault" or "through my fault." It signifies an acknowledgment of one’s own error or wrongdoing, making it closely associated with the idea of confession or admission of guilt. This term can be used in various contexts, including legal settings, where an individual accepts responsibility for an action or expresses regret for wrongdoing.

In contrast, the other phrases do not convey the same meaning related to guilt or confession. For example, "de minimis" refers to trivial matters that are too minor to warrant consideration, while "res ipsa loquitur" relates to situations where the evidence speaks for itself, often used in negligence cases. "Non sequitur," on the other hand, is used to describe a statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement. Thus, "mea culpa" is the only phrase among the options that directly signifies the responsibility and acknowledgment of guilt.