Table of Contents

About the Author Acknowledgments A Cautionary Tale Introduction ShortcutsCHAPTER 1“Please Raise Your Right Hand. . ” CHAPTER 2Why Tell the Truth? 51. Lying Is Wrong 52. Lying Is a Crime 63. Lying Is Hard 64. Lying Is Confusing 7CHAPTER 3The Gaps 11CHAPTER 4The Perception Gap 13Defining the Perception Gap 13Understanding the Perception Gap 13Bridging the Perception Gap 14CHAPTER 5The Audience Gap 17Defining the Audience Gap 17Understanding the Audience Gap 17Bridging the Audience Gap 18CHAPTER 6The Conversation Gap 21Defining the Conversation Gap 21Understanding the Conversation Gap 21Bridging the Conversation Gap 22CHAPTER 7The Control Gap 25Defining the Control Gap 25Understanding the Control Gap 25Bridging the Control Gap 26CHAPTER 8Preparing Ourselves 27Goals 27Methods 28Tools 31Witness Notebook 31Witness Outline 31CHAPTER 9Understanding the Audience 35How to Help the Audience Understand Your Case 36Humanize the Witness 36Humanize the Party 38Simplify the Language 38Simplify the Message 38CHAPTER 10Three Mistakes Witnesses Make 391. “I’ll Just Tell My Story.” 39Consider the Questioner’s Advantages 39Experience 40Preparation 40Documents 40Other Witnesses 40Script 40Don’t Walk in Unprepared 402. “It’s Too Expensive.” 413. “I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong.” 42CHAPTER 11Seven Mistakes Lawyers Make 451. “I’m Too Busy.” 452. “The Client Is Too Busy.” 463. “All Witnesses Are Created Equal.” 474. “You Never Know What They’ll Ask.” 48Wear the Opponent’s Hat 48Use What’s Out There 48Use Their Stuff 48Use Other Lawyers 49Ask Your Client 495. Preaching, Not Teaching 506. “The Law Is the Law.” 507. “Do I Need to Draw You a Road Map?” 51CHAPTER 12What Preparation Means 53Mistakes of Preparation 53Not Comprehensive Enough 53Not Tough Enough 54Seven Steps for Preparing the Witness 541. Start with an Introduction 542. Review the Facts 553. Review the Process 564. Put It Together 575. Anticipate Problems 586. Do a Dry Run 597. Review the Transcript 60The When and Where of Preparation 61CHAPTER 13Basic Principles 63Basic Principle 1: Listen, Listen, Listen 63Basic Principle 2: Don’t Try Too Hard 66CHAPTER 14Rule 1: Take Your Time 69Multitasking 69Fairness 691. “It’s Hard to Do.” 702. “It Will Look Bad.” 713. “It Will Make It Take Longer.” 72CHAPTER 15Rule 2: Always Remember You Are Making a Record 75Keys to Testifying Successfully 75Be Precise 76Be Conscious of Language 771. Confusing Language 782. Jargon 803. Legalese 824. Relative Language 835. Loaded Language 84CHAPTER 16Rule 3: Tell the Truth 851. The Truth 85“Oh, What the Heck!” 86“Yes or No” 86Mistakes 872. The Whole Truth 88The Bad Stuff—Embrace It 88Be Yourself 90The Good Stuff 913. Nothing but the Truth 91CHAPTER 17Rule 4: Be Relentlessly Polite 93The Audience 93The Challenge 94Be Positive 94Be Relentless 94Keep Your Cool 94Don’t Poke the Bear 95Leave It to the Lawyers 95Don’t Play Games 95Don’t Get Spooked by Details 96Take the Questioner’s Frustration as a Compliment 97CHAPTER 18Rule 5: Don’t Answer a Question You Don’t Understand! 99Three Tests for Questions 100Clarity 100Comprehension 101Comfort 103Common Types of Assumptions by Questioners 105Category Assumptions 105Concept Assumptions 106Choice Assumptions 106Wiggles and Squirms 1071. The Court Reporter 1072. The Follow-Up Question 1083. The Obstinate Child 108CHAPTER 19Rule 6: If You Don’t Remember, Say So 111Important Points about Memory 112What’s Important for One Is Not Important for All 112The Tougher the Issue, the Tougher It Is to Remember Accurately 112Memory Fades Quickly 113Faded Memory Becomes Random and Anecdotal 113Anecdotal Memory Becomes Reconstructed Memory 114“I Don’t Know” versus “I Don’t Recall” 115CHAPTER 20Rule 7: Don’t Guess 119The Danger of Guessing 1191. Guessing about Factual Details 1192. Guessing about Inferences 121The Curse of the Intelligent Witness 122The Pressure of Inference Guilt 1223. Guessing about Hypotheticals 123The Attack Hypothetical 123The Meteor Hypothetical 124CHAPTER 21Rule 8: Don’t Volunteer 125The Witness as Artist 128Revelations 129Requests 129CHAPTER 22Rule 9: Be Careful with Documents and Prior Statements 131Issues 131Credibility 132Language 133Context 134Protocol 134Step 1: Ask to See It 134Step 2: Read It 135Step 3: Ask for the Question Again 136Document Option Tree 137Present Recollection Refreshed 138Past Recollection Recorded 139Prior Statements/Testimony 139CHAPTER 23Rule 10: Use Your Counsel 143Types of Help from Counsel 144Privilege 144Breaks 145Objections 147Errata Sheets 149CHAPTER 24Making an Impact 151CHAPTER 25Adapting to the Situation 155The Interview Witness 155The Nonprivileged Witness 156The Vulnerable Witness 158The English-as-a-Second-Language Witness 159CHAPTER 26The Deposition Witness 161Purposes of a Deposition 162CHAPTER 27The Grand Jury Witness 165General Purposes of the Grand Jury 165Investigation 165Screening 166Fifth Amendment 167Immunity 167The Room 168Counsel 168Secrecy 169“Target” 169Testimony 169The Power of Knowledge 170Preparation 170CHAPTER 28The Trial Witness 171Direct Examination versus Cross-Examination 172Direct Examination 172Cross-Examination 174Rule 1: Take Your Time 174Rule 2: Always Remember You Are Making a Record 175Rule 4: Be Relentlessly Polite 175Rule 5: Don’t Answer a Question You Don’t Understand! 175Rule 7: Don’t Guess 175Rule 9: Be Careful with Documents andPrior Statements 175Rule 10: Use Your Counsel 176CHAPTER 29The Party Witness 177Helping Your Client Find the Right Balance 178Understanding 178Personality 178Emotions 178Core Themes 179CHAPTER 30The Expert Witness 181Three General Rules 1811. “Just Do It” 1822. Know the Territory 1833. The Lawyer Is the Captain of the Ship 184Checklist of Issues 185Testimony 186Daubert 187Anticipating Cross-Examination 187CHAPTER 31 The Corporate Representative Witness 189Issues Pertaining to a Corporate Representative Witness 189Entity 190Notice 190Witness 191Knowledge 192Preparation 192CHAPTER 32The Physician as Witness 195Key Challenges Doctors Face as Witnesses 1961. Environment 196The Doctor Is Not in Control 196The Other Side Will Never Agree 197The Job Is to Sell, Not to Solve 1972. Expertise 198Realize That Doctors Cannot Be Their Own Experts 198Understand the Role of Literature 199Know the Record 1993. Ego 2004. Emotions 200Be Relentlessly Polite 200Avoid the Blame Game 201Develop Trust 201Be Wary of Appearance 201Keep It Simple 201Remember—This Is Not a Conversation 202CHAPTER 33The Criminal Defendant 203Reasons to Have a Criminal Defendant Testify 204The Jury Wants to Hear It 205The Defendant Wants to Say It 205There May Be No Other Way 206CHAPTER 34The Ethics of Witness Preparation 207What Can You Do? 209The Perjury Dilemma 2101. Persuasion 2112. Narrative 2113. Withdrawal 2114. Disclosure 211Lawyer Conduct during a Deposition 212CHAPTER 35The Witness Bill of Rights 2151. You Have the Right to Control the Pace of YourTestimony 2152. You Have the Right to Question the Questioner 2163. You Have the Right to Tell Your Story 2164. You Have the Right to Be Treated with Respect 2165. You Have the Right to Clear and Fair Questions 2166. You Have the Right to Forget 2167. You Have the Right to Make Clear What You Don’t Know 2178. You Have the Right to Silence 2179. You Have the Right to See and Read All Documents 21710. You Have the Right to Use Your Counsel 217CHAPTER 36Conclusion 219APPENDIX ASample Witness Outline 223APPENDIX BWitness Preparation Summary Handout 225Discussion 225Introductions 226Deposition 226Government Interview 227Internal Investigation Interview 228Government Agency Testimony 230Grand Jury Testimony (Federal) 231Grand Jury Testimony (State) 233Trial 235Preparation Rules 2371. Take Your Time 2372. Always Remember You Are Making a Record 2373. Tell the Truth 2384. Be Relentlessly Polite 2385. Don’t Answer a Question You Don’t Understand! 2386. If You Don’t Remember, Say So 2397. Don’t Guess 239Factual Details 239Inferences 239Hypotheticals 2408. Don’t Volunteer 2409. Be Careful with Documents and Prior Statements 24010. Use Your Counsel 241Appendix CHow Are Things in Russia? 243Appendix DHow Was Your Flight? 249Appendix EHow Are Things at the Hospital? 255Index 261