Help Your Witness Give a Good Deposition – Round 2

Civil jury trials still being out of the question, it seems best to continue focusing on how to help your witnesses testify credibly and competently during depositions – which certainly are ongoing, mostly via Zoom.

Here are some suggestions to tell your witness:

1. Realize you’re in charge

When you’re being bombarded with questions, remember--you’re in charge of your response. No one has a pistol to your head, forcing you to respond a certain way.

2. Show respect at all times, be on your best behavior

Legal proceedings are formal proceedings, even when they seem informal, or even downright strange, such as with Zoom. Everything is still recorded and will be used against you if it serves opposing counsel.

3. Be courteous and polite

To everyone involved: opposing counsel, court reporter, any persons observing the proceedings.

4. Remember where your deposition might be shown

Even though a Zoom deposition is held in a number of locations, as opposed to an attorney’s office with everyone present, portions of it may still be read/viewed at a trial, or during negotiations. Always answer and behave as if Judge and jury were present.

5. Be patient

Real depositions, unlike their TV dramatizations, are often tedious. Understand the seriousness of what is at stake and be patient.

Help Your Witness Give a Good Deposition

During these unusual times, most jury trials are out of the question, but depositions are still being taken, and witnesses therefore still need help to testify at their best.

One of the keys to a successful deposition is a witness’ attitude. Help your witness by offering the following suggestions: 

1. Tell the truth

No matter how painful, scary, or awkward it may be, tell the truth. Your attorney can deal with anything, as long as it’s your truth.

2. Trust your attorney

Your attorney knows the case better than anyone. Follow his/her guidance, not advice from YouTube, your family or your best friend. 

3. Be sincere

Leave your sarcasm, joking around, your ‘whatever’ postures, coyness, seductiveness or cuteness at home. Sincerity wins every time.

4. Be straightforward

Don’t be evasive or beat around the bush. Stick to the facts as you know them as closely as possible. 

5. Be accurate

Tell it like it is. Resist the temptation to over-state your case, dramatize or otherwise embellish.

There is, of course, much more to a successful deposition, but adopting the above tips will give your witness a solid foundation from which to testify.

Handling the Angry Witness

You’re gearing up for trial, you hardly have the time or patience to deal with an angry witness. Yet there you are, in the unenviable position of having to prepare a witness who is angry for any number of reasons:

- The witness is a client, angry that this matter couldn’t be settled or that it even is in litigation at all.

- The witness is furious at being “required” to testify.

- The witness has healed or substantially recovered from the incidents at issue and resents having to deal with “it” all over again.

Whatever the witness’s reason, he or she is mad! And only too happy to tell you all about how aggravated and upset they are. You try to get down to the business of prep with “OK, but we’ve got to focus on preparing you for your testimony,” which is labored, halting and difficult at best.

There is a more effective way. People in highly charged emotional states need FIRST to have their emotions thoroughly acknowledged, in order to clear their minds and hearts sufficiently to think rationally.

Start by reflecting your witness’s emotions: “It is frustrating to have to go through this again.” Let them respond with another emotional salvo, and follow that with something like “This has been really hard on you.” By now, the witness will have calmed down some, because you’re not resisting their emotion, you’re acknowledging it. Notice how the acknowledgement is done in third person, non-inflammatory terms. Once you sense that the witness is less angry, you’re ready to open the prep session with the use of the word ‘and.’ “And that’s why we’re here today—to prepare you so the jurors can understand your perspective.” 

More than anything, emotionally wrought people want just one thing – to be genuinely heard.