1) v. short for "leading the witness," in which the attorney during a trial or deposition asks questions in a form in which he/she puts words in the mouth of the witness or suggests the answer.
asking a question during a trial or deposition which puts words in the mouth of the witness or suggests the answer, which is improper questioning of a witness called by that attorney, but is proper in cross-examination or allowed if a witness is declared by the judge to be a hostile or adverse witness.
Cross Examination: The questions which a lawyer puts to the party or a witness on the opposing side.
A type of questioning in that the form of the question suggests the answer. In general, leading questions are not allowed during the direct examination of a witness, however, they are allowed on the cross-examination of a witness.
The easiest way to identify a leading question is to notice the biases that it presupposes. After doing this, you can choose to respond in one of these ways: Clearly reject the bias. For instance, when asked: "How much did you enjoy this event?" — you can say, "I did not enjoy the event".Jul 24, 2020
Asked and answered: when the same attorney continues to ask the same question and they have already received an answer. Usually seen after direct, but not always.
When a lawyer calls an adverse or hostile witness (a witness whose relationship to the lawyer's client is such that his testimony is likely to be prejudicial) on direct examination, the lawyer can ask leading questions as on cross-examination.Sep 9, 2019
Cross-examination gives the opposing party an opportunity to point out the weaknesses of a witness's testimony, like holes in their story or a lack of credibility.
Brother/Sister: When speaking to the court, attorneys often refer to opposing counsel as “My Brother” or “My Sister”. The attorneys are not related, they use this reference because they are looked upon as brethren in the law. Burden of Proof: The duty to prove disputed facts.
Leading questions can be problematic because they allow the examiner to unduly influence or control the witness' testimony. Non-leading questions provide a more “natural” flow of testimony based on the witness' personal knowledge and recollection of the events.Oct 10, 2019
Leading questions are also allowed during a cross-examination when an attorney is questioning the other party's witnesses. This is because one of the purposes of cross-examination is to test the credibility of statements that a witness made on direct examination.Jan 28, 2019
Leading questions can only be asked during cross-examination and not during examination-in-chief or re-examination unless and until the court allows.
Rules of evidence are designed to promote reliability and fairness at trial. When attorneys (or self-represented parties) are allowed to use leading questions to "tell the story" by simply asking the witness confirm or deny statements of fact, the potential for unreliable testimony increases.
Black's Law Dictionary defines a leading question as "a question put or framed in such a form as to suggest the answer sought to be obtained by the person interrogating. ". In other words, the examiner has embedded the answer that he is seeking inside the question. Here are some examples of leading questions:
For the expert witness that means that if the jurors do not first comprehend his opinion, they will never reach the point of believing it; instead they will simply reject it. Thus, many of these Rules will deal with techniques that enhance juror comprehension. 1.
One of the real dangers in presenting expert testimony is that the lawyer or the expert will speak over the jurors’ heads. If you present expert testimony that the jury simply does not understand because of the language being employed, the expert’s opinion is not going to be accepted no matter how well-founded it may be.
The focal point of any expert’s testimony is obviously the opinion that he/she is going to offer and the basis for that opinion. It is important, therefore, that the attorney conducting the direct examination provide the proper “set up” or prelude for the expert’s opinion. Generally, this means you should provide any necessary technical or factual background before you start to question the expert about his/her conclusions.
It perhaps sounds surprising, but the most difficult skill to master in trial advocacy may be conducting good direct examination of a witness, particularly an expert witness. The conventional thinking, no doubt, is that a trial lawyer’s “real” skill is measured by his ability to conduct damaging cross-examination or persuasive closing argument.
Courtroom Procedures: Questions and Objections. Both the Crown Prosecutor and the Defence Counsel are allowed to ask questions of witnesses during the trial. They are presented in court by either the Crown or Defence in order to help prove their case/argument.
The Crown Prosecutor or the Defence Counsel may object to a question or the admission of an exhibit or evidence. The judge may ask the person “on what rule of evidence are you relying on?” or “on what grounds are you making your objection.”
After the Direct Examination is complete the opposing side is given an opportunity to ask their own questions, attacking the credibility of the testimony presented by the witness. During the Cross Examination of a witness, the lawyer is allowed to ask leading questions. As an opposing witness is not likely to provide the answers ...
Other information is simply a recounting of someone else’s experiences. (c) asking for testimony that is immaterial and irrelevant. The information is not closely related to the case, and is therefore not important. (d) asking for an opinion or conclusion that the witness is not qualified to give.
The judge may respond in one of two ways. S/he may sustain the objection, which means that the objection is well supported and approved of by the judge. This prevents the line of questioning from continuing or evidence/testimony form being introduced.
Lawyers must allow their witnesses to tell their side of the story; they must not “lead” their witnesses through their story. This applies to Crown and Defence lawyers alike. Leading Questions are only allowed on cross examination. (b) asking for testimony that is hearsay. The questions must limit witnesses to tell facts they know ...