Evid. Material

7/24/2019 Evid. Material

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CROSS-EXAMINATION INTRODUCTION Cross-examination at trial is controlled by Fed

R E!id "##$b%& Cross examination s'o(ld be limited to t'e s(b)ect matter o* direct

examination in matters a**ectin+ t'e credibility o* t'e ,itness T'e co(rt may in t'e exercise

o* discretion .ermit in/(iry into additional matters as i* on direct examination T'e *ederal

r(le limits t'e sco.e o* cross-examination to t'e s(b)ect matter o* direct and matters a**ectin+

t'e credibility o* t'e ,itness 0y contrast in state co(rt Tennessee *ollo,s t'e 1,ide o.en2

r(le o* cross-examination& A ,itness may be cross-examined on any matter rele!ant to any

iss(e in t'e case incl(din+ credibility exce.t as .ro!ided in .ara+ra.' $d% o* t'is r(le

Tennessee R(le o* E!idence "##$d% t'e 1ad!erse ,itness r(le2 .ro!ides& 3'en a .arty in a

ci!il action calls an ad!erse .arty $or an o**icer director or mana+in+ a+ent o* a .(blic or

.ri!ate cor.oration or o* a .artners'i. association or indi!id(al .ro.rietors'i. ,'ic' is an

ad!erse .arty% interro+ation on direct examination may be by leadin+ /(estions T'e sco.e

o* cross-examination (nder t'is .ara+ra.' s'all be limited to t'e s(b)ect matter o* direct and

cross-examination may be by leadin+ /(estions T'(s ,'en a .arty is called (nder t'e

ad!erse ,itness r(le direct examination .roceeds as i* it is really cross-examination ,it' t'e

/(estioner as4in+ leadin+ /(estions 3'en t'e ad!erse ,itness is bein+ crossed t'e sco.e is

limited to t'e s(b)ect matter o* direct and cross-examination 1may be by leadin+ /(estions2

In s'ort t'e r(les o* e!idence .ro!ide *or a ri+'t to cond(ct cross-examination o* a ,itness

and +i!e t'e o..ort(nity to *rame leadin+ /(estions to *acilitate t'e examination 35AT IS

T5E RO6E OF T5E AD7OCATE IN CROSS-EXAMINATION8 Cross-examination is

literally con*rontin+ t'e o..osin+ ,itness It is a ,ay to test ins.ect and examine ,'at t'e

ot'er side is really sayin+ Cross-examination be+ins in disco!ery ,it' a .lan *or eac'

,itness Us(ally de.ositions are t'e met'ods by ,'ic' trial la,yers ex.lore areas o*

testimony T'e )(ry ,ill be )(d+in+ yo( as t'e attorney d(rin+ t'e cross-examination T'e

)(ry ,ill ,atc' yo( closely as to 'o, yo( .rod(ce e!idence d(rin+ cross-examination and

,'et'er yo( are co(rteo(s and res.ect*(l to t'e ,itness I* yo( can brin+ o(t *acts ,it'o(t

bein+ disco(rteo(s to t'e ,itness or *orce*(l t'e )(ry ,ill a..reciate it9 'o,e!er do not

a!oid bein+ *orce*(l i* t'at is ,'at it ta4es to re!eal t'e tr(t' T'e s4ill is in 4no,in+ 'o, to

be *orce*(l and not o**ensi!e and 'o, to maintain t'e ri+'t im.ression Consider t'e

*ollo,in+& # T'e la,yer m(st .re.are extensi!ely to cond(ct e**ecti!e crossexamination All

,itness statements s'o(ld be examined *or inconsistencies and admission t'at ,ill


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corroborate t'e la,yer:s case Any bias o* a ,itness s'o(ld be (nco!ered For ex.ert

,itnesses it is im.ortant to disco!er a(t'orities t'at may contradict t'e a(t'orities t'ey relied

on and to in!esti+ate t'e ex.ert:s /(ali*ications ; 6a,yers s'o(ld ne!er as4 a /(estion

(nless t'ey are reasonably certain ,'at t'e ans,er ,ill be e dama+in+

.oints ? 6a,yers s'o(ld as4 /(estions abo(t incidents o(t o* c'ronolo+ical order "

6a,yers s'o(ld try to elicit admissions t'at ,ill ma4e t'e ,itnesses: testimony seem

im.robable @ 6a,yers s'o(ld ta4e any 'y.ot'etical /(estions .osed to an ex.ert and

incl(de ass(m.tions t'at are *a!orable to t'e la,yer:s client 6a,yers s'o(ld 4no, ,'en

to sto. T'ey s'o(ld not belabor crossexamination ,it' irrele!ancies B As4 a series o*

/(estions in cross-examination Do not t'in4 o* crossexaminin+ as as4in+ t'e ,itness

/(estions b(t rat'er as ma4in+ statements o* *act *ollo,ed by a *e, ,ords t'at t(rn t'e

statements into /(estions For exam.le instead o* as4in+ at t'e be+innin+ o* a /(estion

13o(ldn:t yo( a+ree2 or 1Isn:t it tr(e t'at2 ma4e t'e statement and t'en at t'e end say

1Isn:t t'at tr(e82 or 1Don:t yo( a+ree82 ,it' t'e /(estion comin+ at t'e end # Do not ,rite

o(t cross-examination /(estions 0e*ore cross-examinations yo( ,ill 'a!e already de.osed

t'e ad!erse ,itness Dra, t'e cross-examination /(estions *rom t'e ,itnesses: !erbatim

ans,ers d(rin+ t'e de.osition indexed to t'e .a+e and line Most o* t'e /(estions consist o*

*a!orable ans,ers testi*ied to at t'e de.osition I* t'e ,itness disa+rees ,it' t'e /(estion it is

sim.le to im.eac' 'im by re*errin+ to de.osition T'is tec'ni/(e allo,s yo( to ti+'tly control

t'e examination 3it' ans,ers t'at are .artic(larly dama+in+ to t'e ,itness yo( may ,ant to

as4 a *(rt'er /(estion t'at ,ill demonstrate t'e !(lnerability or (nreasonableness o* t'e

,itness ## D(rin+ cross-examination loo4 to t'e )(d+e *or 'el. i* yo( are 'a!in+ di**ic(lty

controllin+ t'e ,itness I* t'e ,itness is not bein+ res.onsi!e do not t(rn to t'e )(d+e to 'el.

yo( (ntil yo( 'a!e tried to control t'e ,itness yo(rsel* 0e .olite and *irm and interr(.t t'e

,itness i* yo( 'a!e to b(t al,ays be att(ned to t'e )(ry:s reaction Tell t'e ,itness ,'en it is

im.ortant t'at 'e or s'e ans,er t'e /(estion yo( are as4in+ and t'at i* t'ere are additional

matters s'e ,is'es to testi*y to to do so a*ter,ards or on re-direct 5o,e!er i* t'e ,itness

does not com.ly t'e )(ror s'o(ld be able to see t'at yo( 'a!e done e!eryt'in+ yo( can to +et

yo(r ans,ers to /(estions At t'at .oint yo( s'o(ld t(rn to t'e )(d+e and say 1o(r 5onor82

and 'a!e t'e )(d+e to instr(ct t'e ,itness to ans,er t'e /(estion UROSES OF CROSS-

EXAMINATION T'ere are basically *o(r .(r.oses o* cross-examination& #% to discredit t'e

,itness9 ;% to elicit testimony *rom t'e ,itness ,'ic' discredits (n*a!orable testimony +i!en

by ot'er ,itnesses on t'e same side creatin+ a con*lict ,it' testimony o* ot'er ,itnesses on


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t'e same side9 ed a(t'ority Omittin+

*acts to ma4e it a..ear as i* t'e ex.ert is not in*ormed or is (n.re.ared Creatin+ a con*lict

,it' t'e ex.ert:s attorney or lainti** CONTRO6 AND TEC5NIUES OF UESTIONING

# As4 leadin+ /(estions Isn:t it tr(e t'ere ,as a 'i+' tem.erat(re $*e!er% s.i4in+ .ain and

,armt' to t'e to(c'8 Do not as4 ,'y 'o, ,'en or ,'ere /(estions As4 ra.id sim.le

/(estions and insist on clear ans,ers 5a!e a brie* crossexamination and +o in no .artic(lar

order Al,ays cross-examine an ex.ert Deal only ,it' ma)or iss(es As4 'y.ot'etical

/(estions t'at are *a!orable to yo( Use dramatic .a(ses and silence Obtain *a!orable

testimony *irst es.ecially at de.osition Don:t s'o, yo(r '(rt or ex.ression and don:t .a(se

6isten to t'e ,itness and loo4 at t'e )(ry ,'ile as4in+ t'e /(estions es.ecially ,'en t'e

testimony is !ery /(estionable ; Use .lain ,ords and s'ort /(estions and occasionally

consider as4in+ non-leadin+ /(estions s(c' as ,'y or 'o, Do not exa++erate As4 only

/(estions t'at can be 'andled e**ecti!ely and *a!orably re+ardless o* t'e ans,er 1Did yo(

learn t'at in medical sc'ool2 Do not see4 .er*ect ans,ers A!oid as4in+ too many /(estions

0e satis*ied once an ans,er is +i!en beca(se it .robably ,ill not +et any better Concentrate


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and listen to t'e ,itnesses: ans,ers Many cross-examiners contin(e to as4 /(estion a*ter

/(estion ,it'o(t really analy>in+ t'e res.onses


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o.enin+ statement ex.lain a+ain t'e meanin+ and .(r.ose o* crossexamination incl(din+ in

it yo(r assertion o* ,'at t'e e!idence ,ill s'o, and as yo( describe t'e case to t'e )(ry

remember t'at eac' member o* t'e .anel m(st 'a!e a clear (nderstandin+ o* ,'at cross-

examination means 6et t'e )(rors 4no, t'at crossexamination is a ,ay *or one side to test

t'e credibility o* t'e ot'er side:s testimony and t'e ,itnesses: moti!es intentions and

credibility H(rors rarely .ercei!e t'e res(lt o* t'e cross-examination as ne(tral rat'er t'ey

.ercei!e t'at t'e attorney 'as eit'er one or lost a*ter /(estionin+ eac' ,itness DIRECT

EXAMINATION T'e direct examination o* yo(r ,itness m(st relate to t'e cross-

examination to be cond(cted lannin+ m(st be detailed Jey .oints o* yo(r ar+(ment s'o(ld

be establis'ed I* necessary +o o!er it ,it' t'em a+ain and a+ain Once t'e .oints 'a!e been

made t'e sta+e is set *or cross-examinin+ For exam.le in /(ali*yin+ yo(r ex.ert on direct

examination yo( mi+'t s'o, t'at t'ey are a board certi*ied obstetrician and all o* t'e ste.s

t'ey ,ent t'ro(+' to become board certi*ied T'en ,'en yo( crossexamine t'e de*endant

.'ysician yo( can s'o, t'e .erson ,as not as board eli+ible b(t not board certi*ied In t'e

direct examination o* yo(r ,itness yo( 'a!e set (. t'e cross-examination o* t'e o..osin+

,itness For exam.le t'e lainti** ta4es t'e stand and testi*ies abo(t 'is in)(ries in a .ersonal

in)(ry case O!er t'e co(rse o* a *e, min(tes t'e de*ense la,yer mi+'t as4 to state since t'e

time o* t'e in)(ry t'e lainti** 'as not been able to .artici.ate in recreational acti!ities li4e

)o++in+ or !olleyball T'en yo( brin+ a .ri!ate in!esti+ator ,'o s'o,s t'at t'e ,itness 'as

been able to en+a+e in t'ese acti!ities SUMMATION Once yo( (nderstand t'at cross-

examination is t'e *irst ste. o* *inal ar+(ment it becomes ob!io(s t'at t'e *ail(re to relate

cross-examination ,ill doom yo(r case Cross-examination is t'e time ,'en yo( reac'

concl(sions and arri!e at sol(tions CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXERT 3ITNESSES #

aintin+ t'e ,itness as a 1'ired +(n2 N(mber o* times testi*ied in co(rt T'e n(mber o*

cases t'e ,itness 'as re!ie,ed T'e n(mber o* liti+ation .'ysical exams .er*ormed rior

contacts ,it' t'e .artic(lar la, *irm 5o, t'e ,itness ,as *irst contacted and by ,'om

Does t'e ,itness ad!ertise ercenta+e o* a..earance *or .lainti**s as o..osed to de*endants

; Financial matters In de.t' in/(iry into t'e area o* ,itness *ees may be a..ro.riate

ercenta+e o* income .ertainin+ *rom medical-le+al acti!ities Total income deri!ed *rom

medical-le+al matters Total income deri!ed in t'e ,itnesses: career T'e .ercenta+e o* t'e

,itness: .ro*essional time +i!en to medical or le+al matters


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a(t'oritati!e8 Can yo( obtain .rior transcri.ts and de.ositions8 5as t'e ,itness .re!io(sly

testi*ied in broader areas8 S.eci*ics o* yo(r case 5i+'li+'t t'ose areas ,'ere t'e ex.ert

a+rees and attem.t to obtain concessions 6ist t'e s(..ort o* yo(r ex.erts be*ore en+a+in+ in

cross-examination

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