When a lawyer has actual knowledge that a client has committed perjury or submitted false evidence, the lawyer’s first duty is to remonstrate with the client in an effort to convince the client to voluntarily correct the perjured testimony or false evidence.
In general, clients have the following duties: Be truthful with your lawyer. Cooperate with your lawyer and respond to requests for information in a timely manner. Attend meetings and legal proceedings, such as a deposition or mediation. Be courteous to your lawyer and his or her team.
Ordinarily, the lawyer should first remonstrate with the client in an attempt to convince the client to, of his own volition, inform the court and/or the opposing party of his misconduct. In doing so, the lawyer should explain that if the client refuses to do so, the lawyer will have no choice but to inform the court of the client’s actions.
When a lawyer learns of the client’s perjury after the fact, Rule 3.3 requires the lawyer to immediately take remedial measures to correct the client’s misconduct.
Search Legal Terms and Definitions Direct examination is interrogation by the attorney who called the witness, and cross-examination is questioning by the opposing attorney.
Oral arguments are spoken presentations to a judge or appellate court by a lawyer (or parties when representing themselves) of the legal reasons why they should prevail.
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.
an out-of-court statementDefinition. Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of whatever it asserts.
debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), moot.
A discussion is defined as consideration of an issue in open and usually informal debate; a conversation; an exchange of views on some topic.
interrogatories - Written questions asked to one party by an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath. Interrogatories are a part of discovery in a lawsuit. interview - A meeting with the police or prosecutor.
Approach refers to moving toward the bench, a witness, or the jury box in court. An attorney may approach the bench in order to have a conversation with the judge and opposing counsel off the record and/or out of the jury's earshot.
A suggestive question is one that implies that a certain answer should be given in response, or falsely presents a presupposition in the question as accepted fact.
Hearsay is a statement by someone to a witness who, while testifying in court, repeats the statement. The statement is hearsay only if it is offered for the truth of its contents. In general, courts exclude hearsay evidence in trials, criminal or otherwise.
For example, to prove that Tom was in town, a witness testifies, "Susan told me that Tom was in town." Because the witness's evidence relies on an out-of-court statement that Susan made, if Susan is unavailable for cross-examination, the answer is hearsay.
Speculation, Conclusions: Speculation, or someone's idea about what might have happened, is not allowed. A witness cannot jump to conclusions that are not based on what the witness experienced. Example: A witness is asked if he saw his friend Kelly on Saturday. He answers: “No, but she was probably playing soccer.