Don't panic! Being a witness may seem pretty simple to some, however, being up on the stand with the lights beaming down your face and attorneys throwing questions at you can be very scary.
Here is the general process:
- You will be sworn in. You know how it goes, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"
- The side who called you as a witness will question you first. Then the other side will ask you questions. The may take turns with the process again if need be.
- Your attorney is there to help you. He/she will protect you from any questions that are not relevant to case or will hurt your chances of winning. When your attorney objects, wait for the judge to rule on the objection then answer the question ONLY if the objection was overruled. He/she can also refresh your memory with a document if need be.
- Take a moment to process the question. There is no time limit to answering the question and you want to be truthful, otherwise, your entire testimony will appear to be untruthful.
- TELL THE TRUTH! It's obvious when you lie on the stand and the judge will not take anything that you say seriously if you lie. It doesn't work...so don't try it.
- You will be nervous in the beginning, but after awhile, you'll get comfortable and before you know it...it's over!
- Address your answer to the judge or the jury. You are not trying to convince the parties or the attorneys that what you are saying is true, only the judge or jury.
If you've been subpoenaed to testify at an upcoming criminal or civil trial and are concerned about your rights, contact me at (919) 321-6569 or Nastasia@kisalawatkins.com.
***I do not own the rights to this video***
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