when an attorney is questioning their witness for the first time, this is known as __________?

by Prof. Lavinia Bins 8 min read

The presentation of evidence at trial begins when the attorney for the "plaintiff" (the person suing) begins calling witnesses. The plaintiff's attorney does the initial questioning of the witness, which is called direct examination. The purpose of a direct examination is to get the witness to testify about facts that support the plaintiff's case.

When examining a witness, the plaintiff's lawyer asks the questions first, and this is called DIRECT EXAMINATION. The defendant's lawyer then CROSS-EXAMINES the witness. Generally, cross-examination is limited to questions concerning matters brought up in direct examination.

Full Answer

Which attorney does the initial questioning of the witness?

Chicago, Illinois. It’s your first trial and the parties have already given their opening statements. Now, it’s time to question your first witness. Depending upon whether you are the prosecutor/plaintiff’s attorney or the defense attorney, the questions you will be asking your first witness will be on either direct or cross-examination.

What kind of questions do you ask a witness in court?

Mar 27, 2019 · For each witness, there may be two or more steps to the testimony: Direct examination. First, the prosecutor will ask questions intended to bring out the witness’s story. Cross-examination. The defendant’s lawyer will then question the witness in an effort to discredit or at least shed doubt on the testimony. Generally, questions should ...

Can lawyers ask leading questions in court?

Answer. On direct examination, lawyers generally can't ask leading questions. A question is leading if it suggests the answer. For example, "You couldn't see very well, could you?" or, "Did you get to the scene at 8 p.m.?" The prohibition against leading questions on direct examination forces lawyers to ask non-suggestive questions instead.

What kind of questions can a lawyer ask on cross examination?

When you question your own witnesses, this is called direct examination. On direct examination, you will usually only be allowed to ask open-ended questions that do not lead your witnesses in a certain way or influence their answers. “Leading questions,” where you suggest the answer to the question, are not allowed.

image

What is it called when lawyers question witnesses?

Cross-Examination When the lawyer for the plaintiff or the government has finished questioning a witness, the lawyer for the defendant may then cross-examine the witness. Cross-examination is generally limited to questioning only on matters that were raised during direct examination.Sep 9, 2019

What is questioning a witness called?

When you question your own witnesses, this is called direct examination. On direct examination, you will usually only be allowed to ask open-ended questions that do not lead your witnesses in a certain way or influence their answers.

What is the first question to ask a witness?

You will need to question the witnesses you call. This type of questioning is called direct examination. For a direct examination you will need to ask open questions (questions that allow for explanations.) Open questions usually begin with words like who, what, why, where, how, tell me about, or describe.

What is it called when the prosecution asks questions of a defense witness?

After the defense attorney cross examines the witness, the prosecutor asks the witness final questions to clarify any confusing testimony for the jury. This is called redirect examination.

What did the first witness reply?

The first witness replied, “It was day, My Lord”. The second question was, “How many persons were there at the time of the theft ?" "Five, Your Honour," said the witness. The judge's third question was, "What was the colour of the stolen purse ?" "Black, Your Honour”, replied the witness.

How do you answer a witness question?

Listen carefully to the questions you are asked. If you don't understand the question, have it repeated, then give a thoughtful, considered answer. DO NOT GIVE AN ANSWER WITHOUT THINKING. While answers should not be rushed, neither should there be any unnaturally long delay to a simple question if you know the answer.Apr 22, 2015

How do you discredit a witness?

The way to discredit a witness is to call other witness or cross-examine other witnesses and bring up key points about your main witness's testimony and impeach them through over witness statements.

How do lawyers ask questions?

0:165:25How to ask questions like a lawyer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first secret is that what we're doing we're not really asking questions what we're doing isMoreThe first secret is that what we're doing we're not really asking questions what we're doing is making statements. That sound like questions and those are statements that the witness.

What are leading questions examples?

A leading question suggests a particular answer that the questioner desires – most often a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. ∎ “Were you in Los Angeles last week?” ∎ You were in Los Angeles last week, weren't you? ∎ You didn't see the stop sign, did you?

What prevents an illegal questioning?

The police can stop a person if they have a good faith belief that the person was involved in a crime. Under the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, a person does not have to answer questions. The law, however, does require people to give their name if requested.Feb 12, 2019

Can lawyers ask leading questions?

Answer. On direct examination, lawyers generally can't ask leading questions. A question is leading if it suggests the answer.

Can a judge question a witness?

The answer is yes. The judge has the discretion to control the courtroom and the trial. If he feels the need to interrupt you and continue questioning the witness, he can do that. An awkward situation arises when the judge begins to ask questions that may not be entirely appropriate.

Direct Examination

Cross-Examination

  • After the plaintiff's attorney completes the direct examination, the defendant's attorney gets to cross-examine the witness. Cross-examination is a fundamental right in the American system of justice. Generally, cross-examination is limited to matters covered during the direct examination. The attorney may ask leading questions during cross-examination.
See more on lawyers.com

Challenging Witness's Credibility on Cross-Examination

  • During cross-examination, the attorney tries to undermine or impeach the witness's credibility by showing that the witness is not reliable or that the witness may have misstated something or even lied during the direct examination. For example, if the witness said one thing in an accident report or during a depositionand then testified differently at trial, the defendant's attorney can refer to t…
See more on lawyers.com

Redirect and Recross Examination

  • Following cross-examination of the witness, the plaintiff's attorney has an opportunity to ask the witness follow-up questions regarding topics discussed during the cross. After this, the opposing attorney can conduct a final recross examination of the witness, which is limited to the subjects brought up during the redirect.
See more on lawyers.com

Defense's Case

  • Once the plaintiff's attorney has called all of the plaintiff's witnesses, the defendant's attorney begins calling witnesses. The same procedure is followed as in the plaintiff's presentation of witnesses. The defendant's attorney conducts direct examination of the witnesses, and the plaintiff's attorney will conduct cross-examinations.
See more on lawyers.com