Controlling the Witness on Cross-Examination

Cross-Examination Skills
Cross-Examination: Fundamentals
Controlling the Witness on Cross
Resources
Michael J. Walter, The Litigation Manual, Trial, John . !oeltl, John !iernan, Editors, Section o" #itigation,
$merican %ar $ssocation
The Ten Commandments
1. Be Brief.
2. Short questions, plain words.
3. Always as leading questions.
!. "on#t as a question, the answer to whi$h you do not
now in ad%an$e.
&. 'isten to the witness.
(. "on#t quarrel with the witness.
). "on#t allow the witness to repeat his dire$t testimony.
*. "on#t permit the witness to e+plain his answers.
,. "on#t as the #one question too many.
1-. Sa%e the ultimate point for summation.
1. Be Brief.
While at the "irst &ortheast Regional &ational 'nstitute "or Trial $d(ocac), ' had the *leasure o" attending
a lecture gi(en +) ,ro"essor 'r(ing -ounger o" the Cornell #a. School. The lecture .as entitled: /The Ten
Commandments o" Cross-Examination./ Since then, through the magnetic mar(el o" (ideota*e,
thousands o" trial la.)ers and .ould-+e trial la.)ers ha(e en0o)ed and +een instructed +) ,ro"essor
-ounger1s no. classic *er"ormance. 2sing -ounger1s /Ten Commandments/ as a standard, ' *ro*ose to
discuss certain techni3ues "or controlling .itnesses on cross-examination.
$s a re(ie. "or those o" )ou .ho ha(e heard, or read -ounger1s /Ten Commandments/ 4#itigation, 5ol. 6,
&um+er 7, Winter, 89::; and "or the edi"ication o" those o" )ou ha(en1t, ' here re*eat them, al+eit .ithout
the considera+le em+ellishment, illustration, and ex*lanation .ith .hich the) .ere originall) endo.ed +)
their author.
The Ten Commandments
8. %e +rie".
7. Short 3uestions, *lain .ords.
6. $l.a)s ask leading 3uestions.
<. =on1t ask a 3uestion, the ans.er to .hich )ou do not kno. in ad(ance.
>. #isten to the .itness1 ans.ers.
?. =on1t 3uarrel .ith the .itness.
:. =on1t allo. the .itness to re*eat his direct testimon).
@. =on1t *ermit the .itness to ex*lain his ans.ers.
9. =on1t ask the /one 3uestion too man)./
8A.Sa(e the ultimate *oint o" )our cross "or summation.
E(er) time a la.)er diso+e)s one o" these commandments, sa)s -ounger, he .ill em+arrass himsel".
$nd that is *ro+a+l) true. %ut the commandments command .ithout telling us ho. to o+e). What does
-ounger mean +) /short 3uestions/B Co. can ' +e sure o" /al.a)s asking leading 3uestions/B What
techni3ues are a(aila+le to me to a(oid /3uarreling .ith the .itness/ or /asking the 1one 3uestion too
man)1/ or /*ermitting the .itness to ex*lain his ans.ers/B
'" ,ro"essor -ounger1s commandments could +e summed u* in a single *hrase, ' su+mit that *hrase
.ould +e: Dn cross-examination, control the .itness. M) *ur*ose here, then, is to ans.er some o" the
3uestions raised +) ,ro"essor -ounger1s Ten Commandments to sho. )ou ho. to o+e) them +)
illustrating some methods and techni3ues "or controlling the .itness on cross-examination. We +egin .ith
Commandments 7 and 6.
2. .Short questions, plain words.
3. .Always as leading questions.
To satis") -ounger1s second and third commandments e(er) 3uestion asked on cross-examination must
+e short and contain a leading *hrase.
What is a /leading *hrase/B '" .e can en(ision the .ords that .e, as cross-examiners, .ish to *ut into the
mouth o" the .itness as castor oil, then the leading *hrase .hich *recedes or "ollo.s those .ords is
analogous to the s*oon u*on .hich the dread"ul medicine is carried. For exam*le, .e .ant the .itness to
sa): /The light .as red./ That1s the castor oil. To con(e) those .ords to the .itness1s mouth, .e ma) use
a (ariet) o" s*oons or leading *hrases, e.g., /'sn1t is a "act that the light .as redB/ or /The light .as red,
isn1t that correctB/ or /The light .as red, .as it notB/ The .itness, )ou should note, does not ans.er the
statement /the light .as red/E rather, she ans.ers the leading *hrase: /'sn1t it a "act that..../
The meaning and use o" a leading *hrase no. clari"ied, .hat can ' do to insure that it .ill al.a)s +e
*receded or "ollo.ed +) a /short 3uestion/B $"ter much struggling .ith this *ro+lem, ' ha(e de(ised the
"ollo.ing rules "or al.a)s coming u* .ith a /short 3uestion./
1. No question should contain more than one (1) new fact.
For exam*le, .e .ant to *in the .itness do.n to the "act that .hen she sa. that the light .as red, she
.as sitting in her car listening to the radio .hile *arked next to the cur+. $ /long/ 3uestion might +e: /'sn1t
it a "act that )ou .ere sitting in )our car *arked +) the cur+ .ith the radio on .hen )ou noticed that the
light .as redB/ We ma) ask that 3uestion and the .itness ma) ans.er /)es/ as .e desire. Co.e(er, it is
e3uall) *ossi+le that the .itness ma) seiFe the o**ortunit) to disagree .ith the order o" the "acts in the
3uestion and den) the statement, e(en though it is other.ise true. %ut, notice .hat ha**ens .hen .e
limit oursel(es to /short/ or /one ne. "act/ 3uestions:
8. G. -ou .ere in )our car, .ere )ou notB
$. -es.
7. G. -ou .ere, at that time, seated, .ere )ou notB
$. -es.
6. G. $nd )our car .as then *arked, .as it notB
$. -es.
<. G. ,arked next to the cur+, isn1t that a "actB
$. -es.
>. G. The radio .as on, .as it notB
$. -es.
?. G. $nd .hile sitting in )our car that .as *arked next to the cur+ .ith the radio on, )ou noticed the light,
did )ou notB
$. -es.
:. G. $nd the light .as red, .as it notB
$. -es.
Wait a minute, )ou sa). Guestion num+er ? contained more than one "act. 'ndeed it did, +ut all the others
contained onl) one "act and 3uestion num+er ? contained onl) one /ne./ "actE i.e., /)ou noticed the light,/
all o" the other "acts contained in 3uestion num+er ? had alread) +een indi(iduall) conceded +) the
.itness.
7. &o more than "i(e 4>; .ords *er 3uestion, excluding the leading *hrase and connecting .ords.
Re(ie. the se(en 3uestions a+o(e. Guestion 8 contains "i(e 4>; .ords and a leading *hrase. Guestion 7
contains three /)ou .ere seated/ *lus a connecting *hrase /at that time/ *lus a leading *hrase, /.ere )ou
notB/ Guestion 6 contains "our .ords: /-our car .as *arked,/ the connectors, /and/ and /then/ and a
leading *hrase, /.as it notB/ The anal)sis o" the remaining 3uestions is one that )ou should readil) +e
a+le to do.
%) using short 3uestions, .e exercise control o(er the .itness. %) o+taining his concession to each ne.
"act necessar) to our ultimate goal, .e close o"" a(enues o" retreat .hich .ould other.ise +e a(aila+le to
the .itness as a means "or de"eating our chosen line o" cross.
Further control o(er the .itness is gained +) using /*lain .ords./ ,lain .ords are the s*eech o" the
common *erson. $(oid /legalese/ or terms o" art or multi-s)lla+le .ords that ma) +e uncommon to the
language and +e)ond the com*rehension o" the .itness and the 0ur).
'" )ou don1t .atch the *o*ular T5 sho.s H and )ou ma) ha(e man) good reasons "or not doing so H "or
entertainment, then .atch a "e. o" them "or ex*osure to the kind o" language .hich "its -ounger1s /*lain
.ords/ in0unction. Remem+er, the sim*ler the .ord, the less the o**ortunit) "or the .itness to take some
semantic exce*tion to )our intended meaning and, there+), gi(e )ou a /no/ ans.er .hen )our *lan
re3uires that he ans.er /)es./ %ear in mind that the .itness asks no 3uestionsE there"ore, the choice o"
.ords is solel) )ours. %e as *in*ointed in )our choice as )ou *ossi+l) can +e and )ou .ill +e exercising
)our *o.er o(er the .itness to control his testimon).
!.."on#t as a question, the answer to whi$h you do not now in ad%an$e.
(. ."on#t quarrel with the witness.
). ."on#t allow the witness to repeat his dire$t testimony.
*. ."on#t permit the witness to e+plain his answers.
When the .itness gets out o" control, the la.)er starts to "eel "rustrated and em+arrassed. This "rustration
and em+arrassment is most o"ten ex*ressed +) 3uarreling .ith the .itness and asking 3uestions .ithout
kno.ing ans.ers. Co. does a .itness get out o" controlB
We ha(e seen that a 3uestion that contains more than one ne. "act .ill ena+le a .itness to 0usti") sliding
a.a) "rom the ans.er sought. Similarl), a 3uestion asked in a non-leading "ashion, .ithout +ene"it o" a
leading *hrase u*on .hich the castor oil ma) +e carried into the .itness1 mouth, also *ro(ides
o**ortunities "or esca*e "rom the control o" the cross-examiner.
%ut, su**ose our 3uestions are short, *lain, and leadingE do an) o**ortunities still remainB -es, unless
)ou:
a. $(oid the use o" modi"iers and generaliFationsE and
+. $(oid the *hrase /)ou testi"ied on direct examination that .../ or an) reasona+le "acsimile o" that
*hrase.
A%oid the phrase .you testified on dire$t e+amination that .... or any reasona/le fa$simile of that
phrase.
#et1s take the num+er /+/ "irst. Cross-examiners like things neat. The) ha(e, there"ore, a desire to set the
.itness u* "or the de(astating inconsistenc) that .ill "ollo. +) *inning .itnesses to their *re(ious
testimon). What is "orgotten, ho.e(er, is that .hat .itnesses said or did not sa) during direct is ne(er
rele(ant. What is rele(ant is the "acts the) descri+ed .hen the) said .hat e(er it .as the) said. 'n m)
t.el(e )ears in the courtroom, almost e(er) time a la.)er has *re"aced a cross-examination 3uestion
.ith the .ords, /-ou testi"ied on direct examination that ..../ the res*onse "rom the .itness has in(aria+l)
+een: 4a; /That .asn1t m) testimon)/E 4+; /' don1t recall sa)ing that/E 4c; /-ou1re tr)ing to *ut .ords in m)
mouth/E or some such com*laint. $ /no/ ans.er, .hereas /)es/ .as ex*ected is the other re*l) most
o"ten made. The ex*ected /)es/ almost ne(er occurs.
There are other reasons .h) one should ne(er use those *hrases. E(er) time )ou do, )ou ask .itnesses
to re*eat their direct testimon) that, in and o" itsel", (iolates Commandment num+er :. Since .itnesses
are no. "ocused on the o""ensi(e statement the) made on direct examination, )ou are in(iting them to
ex*lain that statement as in /Dh )es, +ut .hat ' reall) meant to sa) .as ..../, .hich (iolates the eighth
Commandment: =on1t *ermit .itnesses to ex*lain their ans.ers./ Finall), i" )ou1re a"raid the 0ur) .on1t
recall the statement that the .itness made on direct examination, then )ou *ro+a+l) don1t ha(e a +asis "or
a cross on the statement to +egin .ith. '" )ou1re sure the 0ur) .ill recall the statement, then there is surel)
no need to re*eat it.
&o., some o" )ou ma) +e thinking: Well, i" a .itness sa)s she didn1t testi") to that statement or claims
she can1t recall it, ' can ask the court to ha(e the re*orter read it +ack to her. That1s true. 't1s also one o"
the most o+noxious, +oring, time-consuming and ine""ecti(e a**roaches to cross-examination one can
*ossi+l) take.
E(er) time a .itness is a+le to esca*e a /)es/ ans.er +) claiming he doesn1t recall or "orcing )ou, +) a
/no/ ans.er, to start a time-consuming search "or the *recise .ords he used on direct or, .orse )et, +)
ex*laining a.a) the de(astating inconsistenc) +e"ore )ou e(en get started, that .itness is out o" control.
%) a(oiding using the o""ending *hrase, )ou are a(oiding losing .itness control.
-ou also a(oid getting into a 3uarrel .ith the .itness and, t)*icall), her la.)er o(er .hat the .itness has
or has not testi"ied to.
A%oid the use of modifiers and generali0ations.
Dther 3uarrels are started .hen the "irst o" our t.o rules is (iolated and the cross-examiner inserts in her
other.ise short and leading 3uestion a modi"ier or a generaliFation.
Consider these 3uestions asked on cross:
8. G. The radio *la)ed loudl), did it notB
7. G. -ou sa. him (er) closel), did )ou notB
6. G. -ou al.a)s a**l) )our +rakes, do )ou notB
<. G. -ou made a care"ul in(estigation, isn1t that a "actB
'n Guestion 8, the .ord /loudl)/ modi"ies the *hrase /the radio *la)ed./ $ssuming "or the moment that it is
im*ortant, in terms o" the argument )ou ultimatel) .ant to make to the 0ur) that the radio .as *la)ing
loudl)E ha(e )ou, +) including the modi"ier, allo.ed an o**ortunit) "or the .itness to esca*e, to go out o"
controlB
G. The radio *la)ed loudl), did it notB
$. Dh, ' .ouldn1t sa) loudl).
or
$. What do )ou mean +) loudl)B
or
$. That de*ends.
or
$. $s a matter o" "act, ' could +arel) hear it.
The modi"ier has +ecome an esca*e hatch. '" instead o" using it, the cross-examiner had asked himsel":
What "act or "acts make u* the descri*ti(e .ord /loud/B Ce might ha(e restructured his cross in this
"ashion:
G. The radio .as on, .as it notB
$. -es.
G. Cad )ou turned it onB 4&on-leading, +ecause the ans.er literall) doesn1t matter;
$. -es.
G. -ou turned it on to listen to it, did )ou notB
$. ' turned it on "or +ackground music.
G. -ou turned it on to hear it in the +ackground, did )ou notB
$. -es.
G. $nd )ou could hear it, could )ou notB
$. -es.
G. 't .as loud enough to hear, .as it notB
$. -es.
G. #ouder than the street noise, .asn1t itB
$. -es.
G. %ecause )ou could hear it, could )ou notB
$. -es.
G. $+o(e the noise o" the tra""ic, did )ou notB
$. -es.
G. $+o(e the noise o" the *eo*le on the street, isn1t that a "actB
$. -es.
G. 't .as loud enough to hear a+o(e the tra""ic and the *eo*le, .as it notB
&o., the 0ur) has the im*ression that the radio .as *la)ing loudl) and the .itness is still under control,
.here she +elongs.
2nderstand that the .itness on cross-examination is a .itness *rimed to resist gi(ing the examiner the
ans.er sought. $ccordingl), an) o*ening *ermitted the .itness is one o" .hich the .itness .ill in(aria+l)
take ad(antage. 2sing modi"iers and generaliFations, +e"ore cutting o"" the *aths o" retreat, ena+les
.itnesses to take issue .ith the descri*tions .e attem*t +) the use o" those .ords. 't also telegra*hs to
the .itness .hat it is .e .ant the .itness to sa). When resistant .itnesses kno. .hat it is .e .ant them
to sa), in order to resist us, the) must "ind a .a) to sa) the o**osite or less than .e re3uire. When
.itnesses act "rom that resistance and sa) the o**osite or less than .e re3uire, .e o"ten "ind oursel(es in
a 3uarrel .ith them. The) are out o" control and our care"ull) *lanned cross is lost.
=o ' mean that )ou can ne(er get a.a) .ith using modi"iers and generaliFations in a cross examination
3uestionB &o. -ou ma) use them, +ut onl) .here )ou ha(e "irst, .ith short 3uestions and *lain .ords, so
committed the .itness that a /no/ ans.er to the 3uestion: /'sn1t it "air to sa) then that )ou could see him
clearl)B/ ma) onl) +e (ie.ed +) the 0ur) as an o+(ious, stu++orn re"usal to s*eak the truth.
Ca(ing mastered o+edience to Commandments 7, 6, <, ?, :, and @, ho. do .e go a+out sa(ing the
ultimate *oint "or summation 4Commandment 8A;, and still make our *oint to the 0ur)B What moti(ates us
to ask /the one 3uestion too man)/ 4Commandment 9;. and ho. do .e a(oid doing itB Co. can .e train
oursel(es to /listen to the .itness/ 4Commandment >; and, once attuned, ho. do .e take ad(antage o"
the ans.ers the .itness gi(esB
,.."on#t as the #one question too many#.
1-..Sa%e the ultimate point for summation.
'n a sense, .e ha(e alread) co(ered the territor) o" the /one 3uestion too man)./ D"ten, that 3uestion
+egins .ith the *hrase, /-ou testi"ied on direct that ..../ .hich .e no longer use. Sometimes, the /one
3uestion too man)/ in(ol(es our use o" a modi"ier or generaliFation +e"ore .e ha(e *inned the .itness
do.n to the underl)ing "acts. %ut there are other times, .hen, almost in s*ite o" oursel(es, a"ter
controlling the .itness handil), .e rush headlong into the /one 3uestion too man)./ $nd, like the t.ent)
game .inner .ho kno.s, as soon as the *itch lea(es his hand that the +all he has 0ust thro.n is going to
+e +atted out o" the *ark, .e shout to oursel(es, /,lease let me ha(e that one +ackI/ Wh) do .e do this
to oursel(esB What1s the moti(ationB
&o., in a sense, isn1t a cross-examiner like a +ase+all *itcherB The cross-examiner tosses a 3uestion at
the .itness. '" the .itness gi(es a /)es/ or other ex*ected ans.er, the examiner has *itched a strike. $
series o" such strikes culminates in a success"ul cross or a strike-out o" the .itness. $ "e. +ad *itches
and the cross "ails or, .orse )et, the .itness +ats the +all out o" the *ark.
$ .itness "acing a cross-examiner is like a +atter "acing a *remier *itcher. Ce is *o.erless and he kno.s
it. Cis onl) ho*e lies in the chance that the cross-examiner .ill +ecome o(er-con"ident and toss the
.itness a +ad *itch that .ill ena+le him to score a run "or his side o" the case. $ll the *o.er resides in the
cross-examiner until, moti(ated +) his su+conscious desire to sho. the 0ur) 0ust ho. *o.er"ul his is, +)
letting the *o.er go to his head, the examiner a+uses it. $s soon as that ha**ens, .atch out "or a late-
inning rall) +) the .itnessI So, ho. do .e a(oid a+using our *o.erB
The "irst ste* is to recogniFe the *ro+lem. Dnce .e admit to oursel(es that there is *otential "or a+use o"
the *o.er .e hold in the d)namics o" cross-examination, .e can +egin to .atch "or signs o" its a+use.
Secondl), .e can and should *lan each o" our cross-examinations to e(oke a EurekaI res*onse "rom the
0ur).
/EurekaI res*onse/ is a *hrase ' coined in an article .ritten "or The Couston #egal $d(ocate in the
summer o" 89:9. The article dealt .ith a**lication o" *ersuasi(e techni3ues to "inal argument. 'n it, '
de"ined the EurekaI res*onse as : /That satis")ing glo. o" disco(er) .hen .e are suddenl) a+le to *ut all
the *ieces o" the *uFFle together./ Wh) do )ou .ant such a res*onse "rom the 0ur)B Would it not +e
+etter to tell the 0ur) the solution to the *uFFleB
$n) conclusion .hich .e dra. or arri(e at oursel(es is one .hich .e are more likel) to de"end .ith (igor
than not. Dn the other hand, most conclusions that .e are told +) others to dra. create in us a "eeling o"
resistance to .hich .e res*ond +) dis*uting the conclusion1s accurac). 't is, there"ore, +oth more
*o.er"ul and less di""icult to *ersuade listeners .ith their o.n conclusions than it is to *ersuade them .ith
ours. '" our goal in cross-examination is to lead the 0ur) to a conclusion rather than con"ront them .ith one
.e can a(oid asking the /one 3uestion too man),/ .hich usuall) contains the conclusion and, there+),
continue to control the .itness .hile o+e)ing the 9th Commandment.
Similarl), the 8Ath Commandment, .hich is reall) the 9th said another .a), is also o+e)ed +) al.a)s
looking to e(oke a EurekaI res*onse "rom the 0ur). '" the ultimate *oint comes "rom the mouth o" the
examiner, then there is nothing "or the 0ur) to sa) EurekaI a+out.
'n summar), .e .ill use the *o.er gi(en us +) the d)namics o" cross-examination to control the .itness
at all times. $nd, .e .ill kee* a constant (igil against a+use o" that *o.er +) *lanning our cross-
examinations to e(oke EurekaI res*onses "rom the 0ur).
&. .'isten to the witness.
#istening to a .itness ma) sometimes lead to the e(ocation o" a EurekaI res*onse in a cross-examiner. 't
ha**ens usuall) .hen the .itness, in a struggle to a(oid +eing tra**ed +) our cle(erl)-*lanned and
*hrased 3uestions, sa)s something .hich *ro(ides us .ith +etter "uel "or our "ire than e(en .e had ho*ed
"or.
Too o"ten, ho.e(er, so in(ol(ed are .e in the conduct o" the cross, in thinking our next 3uestion, that .e
miss the o**ortunit) *ro(ided +) the .itness. Then too, man) o" us don1t kno. ho. to handle an ans.er
that does not "it our ex*ectations or "all .ithin the *arameters o" the one .hich a**ears underneath the
.ritten 3uestion in our *re*ared cross.
Consider the cross-examination conducted +) a )oung la.)er at a recent &'T$ regional. The .itness is
Cenr) Ford)ce, a )oung "orest ranger .ho is suing t.o other )oung men "or ha(ing assaulted him outside
a +ar. The cross-examiner has in his "ile Ford)ce1s arrest record, sho.ing t.o *rior arrests "or drunk and
disorderl) conduct. The line he chooses to *ursue is one calculated, he ho*es, to sho. Ford)ce .as so
intoxicated the night o" the assault that his identi"ication o" the de"endants is un.orth) o" +elie". $s .e .ill
see, shortl) a"ter he +egins the cross, the .itness goes totall) out o" control.
G. -ou .ere .ith Ms. #ong that night, .eren1t )ouB
$. -es.
G. %e"ore )ou *icked u* Ms. #ong, )ou .ere at Fenster1s +arB
$. -es.
G. -ou .ere drinking at Fenster1s, .eren1t )ouB
$. ' don1t kno. .hat )ou mean +) /drinking./
G. -ou had some drinks, didn1t )ouB
$. &o. ' had t.o drinks.
G. So )ou .ere *rett) high, .eren1t )ouB
$. Cigh, counselorB &o, to the contrar).
G. -ou had a lot o" drinks, hadn1t )ouB
$. '" )ou consider t.o a lot.
D+(iousl), our )oung "riend .as not a**l)ing some o" the control techni3ues .e1(e discussed. %ut,
*erha*s more im*ortantl), he .as also not listening to the .itness .hen the .itness handed him a golden
o**ortunit).
8.G. -ou .ere drinking at Fenster1s .eren1t )ouB
$. ' don1t kno. .hat )ou mean +) /drinking./
7. G. -ou don1t kno. .hat ' mean +) drinking, do )ouB
$. &o.
6.G. %ut )ou kno. .hat drinking means, do )ou notB
$. -es.
<.G. $nd )ou kne. .hat drinking meant in March o" 89:@, did )ou notB
$. -es.
>. G. $nd )ou .ere drunk and disorderl) in March o" 89:@, .ere )ou notB
$. &o.
?. G. -ou do kno. .hat drunk means, do )ou notB
$. -es.
:. G. $nd disorderl), )ou kno. .hat that means, do )ou notB
$. -es.
@. G. $nd )ou kne. the meaning o" +oth those .ords on Januar) 8, 89:9, did )ou notB
$. -es.
9. G. $nd )ou .ere drunk and disorderl) on that date, too, .ere )ou notB
$. ' don1t recall.
8A.G.-ou don1t recall, do )ouB
$. &o.
88.G.%ut )ou do recall Fenster1s do )ou notB
$.-es.
87.G. -ou recall +eing there, isn1t that rightB
$. -es.
86.G. $nd )ou recall ha(ing a drink at Fenster1s, do )ou notB
$. -es.
8<.G. 'n "act, )ou had more than one drink, did )ou notB
$. -es.
8>.G. &o., )ou understand that )ou .ere drinking at Fenster1s, do )ou notB
$. -es.
8?.G. $nd .hen a *erson drinks, he sometimes gets drunk, does he notB
$. -es.
8:. G. $nd sometimes disorderl) as .ell as drunk, trueB
$. -es.
8@. G. $nd sometimes he gets so drunk, he can1t recall +eing drunk and disorderl), isn1t that a "actB
$. &o. 4The ans.er doesn1t reall) matter, does itB;
' make no *retense that the second cross .as, in an) .a), a master*iece. Co.e(er, ' do su+mit that it
.as one in .hich the examiner maintained control o(er the .itness through-out and turned the .itness1
.ords a+out not understanding the .ord /drinking/ against him .hile getting the ans.er he originall)
.anted and more.
Co. .as this accom*lishedB #ook at 3uestion num+er 7. &otice that the examiner took the .ords the
.itness used in the ans.er that *receded it and made those .ords into the next 3uestion. %) doing so,
the examiner "orced the .itness to ans.er /)es/ and, at the same time, *inned the .itness do.n to an
inde"ensi+le *osition. E(er) time a .itness gi(es an ans.er other than the ex*ected /)es/ or /no,/ he is
gi(ing (ent to his need to a(oid +eing tra**ed. ,ut another .a), i" the .itness senses .hat it is )ou .ant
him to sa), he .ill, in all likelihood, e3ui(ocate on this ans.er. Whene(er he does, he hands the examiner
a *er"ect o*ening "or 0ust such an examination as demonstrated a+o(e.
Co. does this techni3ue o" using the .itness1 ans.er as one1s next 3uestion hel* us to honor the >th
Commandment, /#isten to the Witness/B Well, "or one it takes a.a) the "ear o" not kno.ing ho. to deal
.ith such an ans.er. Since in e(er) instance, the .itness1 ans.er .ill +ecome our next 3uestion, .e no
longer ha(e to +e o(erl) concerned .ith the *ro+lem o" thinking a+out .hat our next 3uestion .ill +e.
$lso, i" .e don1t listen to the .itness, .e .on1t hear his exact ans.er and .ithout that, .e can1t e""ecti(el)
use this techni3ue.
1..Be Brief.
We ha(e no. re(ie.ed e(er) commandment +ut one, the 8st Commandment. 2sing each as a standard,
.e ha(e discussed techni3ues "or controlling the .itness on cross-examination and, in doing so, honoring
those commandments. ,ro"essor -ounger sa)s that e(er) time a trial la.)er diso+e)s one o" his
commandments, that la.)er ends u* .ishing the courtroom "loor .ould o*en +eneath his "eet, s.allo.
him, and hide him "ore(er "rom "urther em+arrassment. 't is m) ho*e that none o" )ou .ill e(er su""er that
"eeling and that these suggestions hel* kee* )ou "rom that "ate.
The 8st Commandment is /%e +rie"./ $s )ou can tell "rom the length o" these remarks, ' ne(er learned
ho. to honor that one.