Sei sulla pagina 1di 4

1/8/2015

THEARTOFCROSSEXAMINATION|LexSpeak

THEARTOFCROSSEXAMINATION

Postedbynitish7588

CrossExamination:Crossexaminationisapartofthetrialprocessinwhichthewitnesscalledby
theonesopponentisexamined.
ANINTRODUCTIONTOCROSSEXAMINATION
PurposesofCrossExamination
Thefirstdecisiontomakeiswhetheryoushouldevencrossexamineawitness.
Inordertomakethatdecision,youmustknowwhatyouwanttoaccomplishbycrossexamininga
witness.Authoritiesontrialpractice,followingarethefactorswhicharetobeconsidered:
1.DidthewitnesshurtyourcasebythetestimonygivenondirectExamination?Ifso,canyou
minimizeorrepairthedamageoncrossexamination?
2.Canyouobtaintestimonyoncrossexaminationtohelpyourcase?
3.CanyouobtaintestimonyoncrossexaminationthatwillhurtyourAdversaryscase?
4.Doyouneedthewitnesstoestablishanevidentiaryfoundationtoadmitadocumentorother
exhibitinevidence?
5.Canyoudiscreditthetestimonygivenondirectexamination?Inotherwords,canyou
demonstrateinconsistenciesinthetestimonygivenondirectexamination?Canyoudemonstrate
thatthetestimonygivenondirectexaminationconflictswiththetestimonyofotherwitnesses?2
6.Canyoudiscreditthewitness?Forexample,canyoushowthatthewitnessisbiased?Prejudiced
infavorofyouradversaryand/oragainstyourclient?Hasamotivetolie?Ispersonally,financially,
orotherwiseinterestedintheoutcomeofthelitigation?Wasnotinapositiontoseeorhearthe
eventthathe/shetestifiedaboutondirectexamination?

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cheader%20class%3D%22entryheader%22%20style%3D%22display%3A%20block%3B%20position%3A%20relative%3B%2

1/4

1/8/2015

THEARTOFCROSSEXAMINATION|LexSpeak

7.Canthecrossexaminationbeusedtoenhanceordestroythecredibilityofotherwitnesses?
8.Isthewitnesssoimportantthatyoushouldundertakesomesortofcrossexaminationtofulfillthe
expectationsofthecase?
Unlesstheanswertooneormoreofthesequestionsisyes,youwouldbewelladvisednotto
crossexaminethewitness.
youstateNoquestions.Thejudgemayevenunderstandthatyouhavenoquestionsforthe
witnessbecausethetestimonygivenondirectexaminationwasnotimportant.
GuidelinesfortheCrossExamination
Crossexaminationalmostalwaysventuresintodangerousterritory.Thereasonforthisisthatthe
witnessisusuallyadverseorhostiletoyourclientsposition.
Therefore,youmustcontrolthewitnessand,moreparticularly,thewitnesstestimony.Thiscanbe
accomplishedbyfollowingcertainguidelinesduringthecrossexamination.
1.Donotaskaquestionunlessyouarereasonablycertainthatyoualreadyknowtheanswer.
(Somewouldsaydonotaskthequestionunlessyouarecertainyouknowtheanswer).Cross
examinationisnotthetimetodiscovernewfacts.Itisnotthetimetobecurious.Remember,
curiositykilledthecat.Itmaylikewisekillyourcase.
2.Treatthewitnessfairly.Youshouldnotbehostile,especiallyifyouwanttogainconcessions
fromthewitness,includingthathe/shemayhavebeenmistakeninhis/hertestimonyondirect
examination.
3.Useleadingquestions.Aleadingquestionsuggeststheanswer,whichisusuallyyesorno.
4.Neveraskopenendedquestionsquestionsthataskhoworwhyorthatrequirethewitness
toexplain.Thesetypesofquestionscanleadtodisaster.Neverallowawitnesstoexplainanything
oncrossexamination.
5.Listentotheanswers.Donotmechanicallyaskonequestionafteranotherwithoutlisteningtothe
witnessanswers.Theanswersmaycontainthefavorabletestimonythatyouareseekingtoobtain
inthecrossexamination.Whenthishappens,youhaveaccomplishedyourtaskandyoushould
considerendingyourcrossexamination.Ontheotherhand,if
youdonotlistentotheanswersyoumaynotheardamagingtestimony
thatshouldbeaddressed.
6.Donotallowthewitnesstorepeat(andthereforereinforceinthemindofthejudge)the
testimonygivenondirectexamination.Thereisnoreasonto
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cheader%20class%3D%22entryheader%22%20style%3D%22display%3A%20block%3B%20position%3A%20relative%3B%2

2/4

1/8/2015

THEARTOFCROSSEXAMINATION|LexSpeak

askaquestionthatallowsthewitnesstorepeathistestimony.Theodds
areverysmallthatthewitnesswilltestifydifferentlyoncrossexamination.Youknowthe
testimonygivenondirectexamination,the
witnessknowsthetestimony,thejudgeknowsthetestimony.Sojustdive
intoyourcrossexamination.
7.KeepyourquestionsshortandsweetandinplainEnglish.Yourgoalistoobtainonefactwith
eachquestion.Ideally,eachquestionshouldbeposedasadeclaratorystatementofasinglefact
callingforaffirmationbythewitness.Thiswillmakethecrossexaminationmuchmoremanageable
foryou,preventobjectionsfromyouradversary(forexample,thatyouareaskingcompound
questions),andallowthejudgetomoreeasilyfollowandunderstandyourcrossexamination.
8.Asktheimportantquestionsatthebeginningandendofyourcrossexamination.People,
includingjurors,rememberbestwhattheyhearfirstandlast.Concludeyourcrossexaminationon
ahighnoteyourstrongestpoint.
9.Yourcrossexaminationshouldbebrief.Remember,youaretryingto
scorepointstobeusedinyourclosingargument.Inalengthycrossexamination,yourstrongest
pointswillbelostandthelesssignificantpointswillbeforgottenbythejudge.
10.Controlthewitnessanswers.Thebestwaytocontrolthewitnessanswersistoasksimpleand
clearquestions.Bydoingso,youwillnotgivethewitnessanopportunitytoprovideharmful
testimony.Ifyourquestioncallsforayesornoanswerandthewitnessprovidesadditional
testimonythatisharmfultoyourcase,youshouldaskthecourttostrikethetestimonyasbeing
nonresponsivetoyourquestion.Althoughyoucannotunringabell,thejudgeeventuallywill
understandthatthe5witnessconductisimproper.Ifthewitnessanswersaquestionotherthanthe
oneyouasked,askitagain,andyetagainifnecessary.
11.Donotaskonequestiontoomany.Rememberthepurposeofcrossexaminationyouaretrying
toobtainfavorabletestimonysoitcanbeusedinyourclosingargument.Youneednotaskthe
ultimatequestionthatwilldriveyourpointhometothejudge.Instead,yourcrossexamination
shouldonlysuggestthepointtothejudge.YourclosingargumentwillDrivethepointhome.
RememberIrvingYoungerslinefromhisfamouslectureoncrossexaminations:Sitdown!
Theuseoftheseguidelineswillallowyoutobeincontrolofthecrossexamination.Bybeingin
control,youwillbeinabetterpositiontoobtainthetestimonytofulfillthepurposesofyourcross
examination.
ScopeofCrossExamination
Theevidencerulesprovidethat[c]rossexaminationshouldbelimitedtothesubjectmatterofthe
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cheader%20class%3D%22entryheader%22%20style%3D%22display%3A%20block%3B%20position%3A%20relative%3B%2

3/4

1/8/2015

THEARTOFCROSSEXAMINATION|LexSpeak

directexaminationandmattersaffectingthecredibilityofthewitness.Thecourtmay,inthe
exerciseofdiscretion,permitinquiryintoadditionalmattersasifondirectexamination.credibility
neednotbebasedonevidenceadducedattrial.Asaresult,youwillalwaysbeentitledtoestablish,
forexample,thatthewitnessisbiasedorprejudiced,hasamotive
tolie,isinterestedintheoutcomeofthecaseorhasmadeapriorinconsistentstatement.These
areasofimpeachmentwillbebrieflyexaminedshortly.Inadditiontothesubjectmatterofthe
directexaminationandmattersaffectingthecredibilityofthewitness,thecrossexaminationmay
alsodelveintoadditionalmatters,subjecttothecourtsdiscretion.Thismeansthatawitnesswho
opensthedoortoadditionalmattersduringthecrossexaminationmaybequestionedonthe
mattersasiftheywerediscussedduringthedirectexamination.Moreover,asapracticalmatter,at
theendofyourcrossexamination,youmayaskthecourtforpermissiontoexaminethewitness
onmattersnotcoveredondirectexaminationratherthanlatercallingthepersonbacktothestand
asyourwitness.ChallengingtheReliabilityoftheTestimony
Atthispoint,youshouldhaveanunderstanding,oratleastanappreciation,ofthepurposes,
guidelinesandscopeofcrossexamination.Nowwewillexamineseveralspecificareasofcross
examination,includingchallengingthereliabilityofthewitnesstestimonyandimpeachingthe
credibilityofthewitnessbydemonstratingbias,interest,prejudice,motive,andpriorinconsistent
statements.Assumingthatyouproceedwithcrossexamination,youmust,ifatallpossible,
challengethereliabilityofthewitnesstestimony.Thisareaofcrossexaminationinvolves
examiningthewitnessonwhathe/shesaw,heard,remembersandisabletodescribeaboutan
event.Itseekstodiscreditthewitnesstestimony.Forexample,ondirectexaminationawitness
maytestifyaboutthecauseofanaccident(whathe/shesaworheard).Oncrossexamination,you
shouldseektoobtaintestimonythattheaccidentoccurredquicklyandunexpectantly,thatthe
witnesswasnotinagoodpositiontoseetheaccident,etc.Thecrossexaminationshouldplanta
seedinthemindsofthejudgethattheaccidentmaynothavehappenedasdescribedbythe
witnessondirectexamination.Youshouldalsoestablishthatthewitnesshasforgottendetailsof
theeventand/orisunabletoaccuratelytestifyaboutanevent.Thiswillcausethejudgetoquestion
theaccuracyorreliabilityofthewitnesstestimonyondirectexamination.Forexample,ondirect
examinationthewitnessmayhavetestifiedaboutthedistancesbetweenvehiclesbeforean
accident.Oncrossexamination,youshouldseektoestablishthatthewitnesstestimonyaboutthe
distancesisnotaccurateorreliable.
Impeachment
Impeachmentmeansdiscreditingthewitness.Inotherwords,attackingthecredibilityofawitness.
Thegoalistodemonstratethatthewitnessand/orthewitnesstestimonyondirectexamination
shouldnotbebelieved.Therearevariousmethodsofimpeachment,includingbias,interest,
motive,prejudiceandpriorinconsistent

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cheader%20class%3D%22entryheader%22%20style%3D%22display%3A%20block%3B%20position%3A%20relative%3B%2

4/4

Potrebbero piacerti anche