Cross-examination handbook : persuasion, strategies, and techniques

The Cross-Examination Handbook teaches students the skills and strategies behind planning and conducting a persuasive cross-examination. This book offers step-by-step instruction and outstanding examples from illustrative trials. Two criminal and two civil case files, along with role-play assignments, give students practice actually planning and executing a cross-examination.

• Acknowledgments p. xix
• Chapter 1 Introduction to Book & Companion Website p. 1
• I Introduction p. 2
• A Overview p. 2
• B The Book p. 3
• II Website - Assignments, Case Files, Actors' Guide, and Supplementary Material p. 3
• A Assignments p. 3
• B Case Files p. 4
• C Actors' Guide p. 4
• D Supplementary Material p. 4
• Chapter 2 Purposes of Cross & The Total Trial Approach p. 5
• I Purposes of Cross-Examination p. 6
• II Case Theory as a Blueprint p. 6
• III Plaintiff's Counsel as a Builder: Civil Case Illustration - Samba Sports Drowning p. 7
• A Legal Theory p. 9
• B Factual Theory p. 9
• IV Defense Counsel as a Builder: Civil Case Illustration - Samba Sports Drowning p. 15
• V Demolisher - Points of Vulnerability as Guides p. 18
• A Points of Vulnerability p. 18
• B Defense Counsel as a Demolisher p. 18
• C Plaintiff's Counsel and Prosecutor as a Demolisher p. 20
• VI Other Purposes for and Misuses of Cross-Examination p. 20
• A Discovery p. 20
• B Placate Kibitzers, Clients, and Others p. 21
• C Avoid Criticism p. 21
• D Ego Gratification p. 21
• Checklist: Purpose of Cross p. 22
• Chapter 3 The Content & Concession-Seeking Cross p. 23
• I The Content of Cross p. 24
• II Methodology for Selecting the Content p. 24
• III Step 1: Case Theory as Guide p. 25
• IV Step 2: Your Adversary's Case Theory p. 25
• V Step 3: Brainstorming for Concessions p. 26
• A The Key Question p. 26
• B The Ted Bundy Illustration - Concession-Seeking Cross p. 30
• C The Zacarias Moussaoui Illustration - Concession-Seeking Cross p. 33
• VI Step 4: Brainstorming for Impeachment Material p. 35
• VII Brainstorming for Content: Convenience Store Robbery Criminal Case Illustration p. 36
• VIII Brainstorming for Content: Samba Sports Drowning Civil Case Illustration p. 42
• IX Filtering Out p. 43
• A Avoid Minutiae p. 44
• B Know the Answer p. 44
• Checklist: Content & Concession-Seeking Cross-Examination p. 47
• Chapter 4 Constructing the Cross
• Your Chance to Testify p. 49
• I Your Time to Testify p. 50
• II Cross Notes p. 50
• A Write the Cross-Examination p. 50
• B Cross-Notes Format and Topical Units p. 51
• C The Words p. 52
• D Statements, Not Questions p. 54
• E The "Yes" Effect and the Stacking Technique p. 55
• F The Convenience Store Robbery Criminal Case Illustration p. 56
• III Types of Questions p. 66
• A Interrogatory p. 66
• B Leading p. 68
• IV Organization of Cross-Examination p. 70
• A Persuasive Order p. 70
• B Primacy p. 71
• C Recency p. 73
• V Transitions p. 74
• VI Storytelling Through Cross-Examination - The Samba Sports Drowning Civil Case Illustration p. 74
• VII Scope of Cross p. 79
• VIII Length of the Cross p. 80
• Checklist: Constructing the Cross p. 81
• Chapter 5 The Visual Trial
• Seeing Is Believing p. 83
• I Bring Your Story Alive in the Courtroom and Make It Memorable p. 84
• II Types of Visuals and Technology p. 85
• A Developing Visual Presentations p. 85
• B Courtroom Display p. 86
• III The Cross-Examiner as Film Director p. 86
• A Planning the Visual Cross p. 87
• B Visual in Evidence p. 88
• C Six Visual Categories p. 89
• IV Civil Case Illustration of Visual Cross - The Concrete Pumping Wrongful Death p. 90
• A Gathering the Existing Visuals p. 91
• B The Six Visual Categories p. 91
• C Creating Visuals p. 92
• D Motion to Pre-Admit the Illustrations p. 97
• E Visual Cross-Examination of the Defendant p. 97
• V Criminal Case Illustrations p. 104
• A Lindbergh Kidnapping Case - Cross-Examination of Bruno Hauptmann p. 104
• B "If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Acquit" p. 109
• C Courtroom Demonstration - George Zimmerman Trial p. 110
• VI O ther Illustrations p. 111
• Checklist: Visual Cross-Examination p. 111
• Chapter 6 Impeachment Cross
• Reliability p. 113
• I Impeachment Cross-Examination in General p. 114
• A Evidentiary Law p. 114
• B Threshold Question p. 116
• C Nine Impeachment Areas p. 116
• D Seven Essential Impeachment Techniques p. 117
• II Lack of Personal Knowledge p. 119
• A Evidentiary Law p. 119
• B Illustration: Lincoln's Cross of Charles Allen p. 120
• III Perception - Mental and Sensory Deficiencies p. 123
• A Evidentiary Law p. 123
• B Techniques and Illustrations p. 124
• IV Bias and Interest p. 127
• A Evidentiary Law p. 127
• B Techniques and the Leniency Agreement Illustration p. 128
• Checklist: Impeachment Cross in General p. 130
• Checklist: Impeachment Cross: Reliability p. 131
• Chapter 7 Impeachment Cross
• Report p. 133
• I The Report p. 134
• II Improbability p. 134
• A Evidentiary Law p. 134
• B Reduction-to-the-Absurd Technique and the Scopes Trial Illustration p. 135
• C Common-Sense Technique and the Senator Stevens Trial Illustration p. 139
• D Contradictory-Conduct Technique and the Sonics Trial Illustration p. 141
• III Prior Inconsistent Statements p. 143
• A Evidentiary Law p. 143
• B Avoid Minor Inconsistencies p. 147
• C Context: The Rule of Completeness p. 148
• D The Refreshing-Recollection Alternative p. 149
• E Techniques: Eight Essentials and the Negligence Illustration p. 150
• F Deposition - Cross-Examination Strategy p. 155
• G Impeachment with a DepositionuIllustration p. 155
• H Impeachment with Silence or Omission p. 159
• IV Contradiction p. 163
• A Evidentiary Law p. 163
• B Contradiction Technique and the Cross-Examination of Mark Fuhrman p. 166
• Checklist: Impeachment Cross: Report p. 168
• Chapter 8 Impeachment Cross
• Reporter p. 171
• I The Reporter p. 172
• II Prior Convictions p. 172
• A Evidentiary Law p. 172
• B Techniques and Illustrations p. 176
• III Prior Misconduct Probative of Untruthfulness p. 178
• A Evidentiary Law p. 178
• B Techniques and the Prior Perjurious Statement Illustration p. 179
• IV Character Witness p. 181
• A Evidentiary Law p. 181
• B Technique and Illustration p. 184
• Checklist: Impeachment Cross: Reporter p. 184
• Chapter 9 Character & Conduct in Trial p. 187
• I Character and Attributes p. 188
• A Fair and Respectful p. 188
• B A Prodigious Memory p. 189
• C A Good Ear p. 191
• D Excellent Powers of Analysis p. 192
• E Persistence and Grit p. 192
• F Nobody's Perfect and CPR p. 192
• II It's All in the Execution p. 193
• A Writing Used to Refresh Memory p. 193
• B Art of Listening p. 194
• C Look p. 196
• D Adjust p. 197
• E Note Taking p. 197
• F Smooth p. 198
• G Staging p. 199
• III Play to Your Audiences p. 200
• A Witness: The Immediate Audience p. 200
• B Jury: The Most Important Audience p. 201
• C Trial Judge: The Exacting Audience p. 202
• D Appellate Court: The Supervising Audience p. 202
• E Courtroom Fans: The Inconsequential Audience p. 203
• IV Highlighting the Testimony p. 203
• V Know When to Stop p. 204
• A Stop p. 204
• B Don't Stop p. 205
• VI "No Questions of This Witness" p. 208
• Checklist: Character & Conduct in Trial p. 209
• Chapter 10 Witness Control
• Strategies & Techniques p. 213
• I Controlling the Witness p. 214
• II Revisiting the Your-Turn-to-Testify Approach p. 214
• III The Ten Commandments p. 215
• IV Counsel's Character and Conduct p. 215
• V "Objection, Your Honor: The Answer Was Nonresponsive" p. 216
• VI Witness Tactics and Countermeasures p. 216
• A Denial p. 217
• B Diversion p. 219
• C Disguise p. 221
• VII Repertoire of Control Techniques p. 223
• Checklist: Control Strategies & Techniques p. 226
• Chapter 11 Preparing the Winning Cross p. 229
• I Preparing the Winning Cross p. 230
• II Preparing to Cross-Examine Any Witness p. 231
• A Recapitulation p. 231
• B Additional Steps to Prepare p. 231
• III Complete Informal Case Development p. 232
• A Investigation p. 232
• B Interviews of the Witnesses p. 234
• IV Full Formal Discovery p. 235
• A Civil Case Discovery p. 235
• B Criminal Case Discovery p. 236
• C Freedom of Information Act p. 237
• V Social Media and E-mail p. 237
• A Vast Storehouse of Unguarded Communication p. 237
• B Obtaining Social Media Information and E-mails p. 239
• VI Interplay Between Deposition and Cross p. 240
• A Witness Assessment p. 240
• B Concessions and Impeachment p. 241
• C Making a Record of Concessions and Impeachment p. 242
• D Different from Cross p. 243
• VII Preparing Prior Statements for Trial p. 244
• A Acquiring Prior Statements p. 244
• B Creating Prior Statements p. 244
• C Organizing, Storing, and Retrieving p. 245
• VIII Essential Evidence Rules: Experts p. 247
• A Qualifications and Ultimate Opinion p. 248
• B Reliability of the Expert's Field p. 249
• C Basis for Opinion p. 250
• D Hypothetical Questions p. 250
• IX Preparing to Cross an Expert p. 251
• A Legal Research and a Motion to Exclude p. 252
• B Your Expert p. 253
• C Background Investigation p. 254
• D Collecting and Reading p. 255
• E Discovery p. 257
• F Consult with Others p. 260
• G Deposing the Expert p. 261
• Checklist: Preparing the Winning Cross p. 263
• Chapter 12 Expert Witnesses p. 267
• I Crossing the Expert p. 268
• II Expert Challenges p. 268
• III Selecting Content of Cross p. 269
• A Concession-Seeking Cross p. 269
• B Impeachment Cross p. 271
• C The Four-Step Methodology p. 271
• D Danger Zone p. 274
• IV Concession-Seeking Cross - The Educator Collision Illustration p. 275
• V Standard Impeachment Areas - Financial Bias Illustration p. 278
• VI Five Expert Impeachment Areas p. 284
• A Qualifications p. 284
• B Reliability of the Expert's Field p. 287
• C Procedures and Factual Data p. 290
• D The Expert's Opinion p. 293
• E Learned Treatise p. 294
• F Challenging the Expert's Opinion and Learned Treatise Illustration p. 294
• VII Structuring Cross p. 296
• VIII Conducting Cross p. 298
• Checklist: Cross-Examining the Expert p. 299
• Chapter 13 Forgetters, Perjurers, Adverse Witnesses, Deponents & More p. 301
• I Problematic Witnesses p. 302
• II Feigning Forgetfulness or Ignorance p. 302
• A Strategies and Techniques p. 302
• B Illustration: The Cross-Examination of Jeffrey Skilling p. 304
• III Perjurer p. 305
• A Recapitulation p. 305
• B Avoid It p. 305
• C Strategies and Techniques p. 306
• IV Surprise Witness p. 307
• V Multiple-Witness Situation p. 308
• A Sequestration of Witnesses p. 308
• B Strategies and Techniques p. 312
• VI Adverse Witness p. 314
• A Risk Assessment p. 314
• B Same Evidence Rules as Cross p. 315
• C Strategies and Techniques p. 315
• D Illustration: The Examination of Adverse Witness Barbara Hedges p. 316
• VII Interview Refuser p. 317
• Checklist: Problematic Witnesses p. 319
• Chapter 14 Ethical & Legal Boundaries of Cross p. 323
• I Ethical and Legal Boundaries of Cross p. 324
• II Avoiding and Meeting Objections p. 324
• A Rules of Evidence and Professional Responsibility p. 324
• B Pretrial Work p. 324
• C Trial Work p. 325
• III Common Objections to Cross-Examination p. 326
• A List of Common Objections to Cross p. 326
• B The Rules p. 327
• IV Meeting Objections Tactics p. 334
• A Interruption for the Witness's Sake p. 334
• B Coaching from Counsel's Table p. 334
• C Speaking Objection p. 334
• Checklist: Ethical & Legal Boundaries p. 335
• Chapter 15 Cases & Assignments p. 337
• I Experiential Learning p. 338
• II Factual Summaries p. 338
• III Assignments on the Website p. 338
• A Role-Play Assignments p. 338
• B Rules for Assignments p. 338
• IV Case Files on the Website p. 340
• V Samples of Assignments and Table of Contents for Case Files p. 340
• VI Teacher's Manual p. 341
• A Actors' Guide p. 341
• B Syllabi p. 341
• VII Criminal Case: State v. Gary Goodman p. 341
• A Summary of State v. Gary Goodman p. 341
• B Assignments for the Goodman Case p. 342
• C Table of Contents for the Goodman Case Files p. 352
• VIII Criminal Case: Summary of State v. Byron Ward Howland p. 353
• IX Civil Case: Summary of Rufus T. Jones v. Brahmin Preparatory School p. 353
• X Civil Case: Summary of Terry O'Brien v. Jamner County p. 354
• XI Challenging and Rewarding p. 356
• Index p. 357