CRJ700 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB ON DSCNT THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER. REDLINE SPD EXCEEDED; BUT NO APPARENT DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

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DURING DSCNT FROM 15000 FT TO 11000 FT WE GOT A RPT AHEAD OF MODERATE TURB AND LIGHT ICING. THERE WAS A CLOUD LAYER AHEAD FROM ABOUT 11500 FT TO 14000 FT; NO VERT DEVELOPMENT. THE CAPT CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD THEM TO SIT DOWN. WE WERE IN THE DSCNT AND STARTED SLOWING FROM 330 KTS. ENTERING THE CLOUDS; THRUST WAS ALREADY AT IDLE. WE HIT A FEW BUMPS; I WOULD CALL IT LIGHT CHOP. CAPT DEPLOYED SPD BRAKES JUST AS WE HIT SEVERE TURB. TOTAL TIME BTWN MODERATE TURB CALL FROM ATC TO HITTING SEVERE TURB WAS APPROX 40-60 SECONDS. AIRSPD WAS WELL BELOW (20 KTS OR SO) REDLINE WHEN WE HIT THE SEVERE PART. THE SEVERE TURB LASTED APPROX 30 SECONDS DURING WHICH TIME WE EXCEEDED REDLINE BY 30-40 KTS WITH THRUST AT IDLE AND SPOILERS FULL UP. AIRSPD FLUCTUATED FROM APPROX 370 KTS TO 280 KTS DURING THIS TIME. GREAT VERT SPD AND ATTITUDE FLUCTUATIONS. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SEVERE TURB AREA WE WERE IN A CTLED DSCNT AT APPROX 280 KTS AND 1000-1500 FPM. CAPT CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS TO MAKE SURE NO ONE WAS HURT AND I CALLED ATC TO RPT; WE ALSO SENT A NOTE TO DISPATCH AND CALLED THE STATION. NO ONE IN THE BACK WAS HURT; IN MY OPINION BECAUSE THE CAPT ACTED QUICKLY AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SIT DOWN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE BIGGEST PROB WE HAD WAS NOT THE TURB; THOUGH. IT WAS WITH THE WRITE-UP. OUR DISPATCHER'S RESPONSE TO OUR RPT WAS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINE OF 'WILL YOU BE WRITING THIS UP?' THIS QUESTION SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WRITTEN SINCE WE RPTED SEVERE TURB.