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A party may not cross-examine his own witness. However, the advantage of having a witness declared hostile is that the party calling him may thereafter cross-examine the hostile witness.
Prepare Outlines, Not Scripts. You should also have an outline of what you expect opposing counsel to ask. The operative word is outline. Do not get stuck in a rigid question-and-answer script. At trial, it is important to really listen to the witness' answer and to adapt your questions in real time.
Ask Open-Ended Questions Instead, questions should use simple words and allow the witness to elaborate on various facts. A general rule is all direct examinations should be open-ended, short questions.
You must ask questions beginning with words such as Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Describe, Tell, Explain, etc. You should ask questions that allow the witness to provide her own answer. For example, Witness, what did you see at the intersection of A and B streets?
At the HearingWhat is the order of events in the courtroom?What do I keep in mind when going to court?Why would I enter evidence in court?What evidence can I show the judge?Does testimony count as evidence?
You can start questioning your witnesses, one at a time, by asking them their name and asking them some background information, like how they know the parties in the case. You will then have to get into asking questions about the event they witnessed or any other issue they are there to testify about.
As indicated by the term, a leading question is one that leads a witness to an answer, by either suggesting the answer or by substituting the words of the questioning attorney for those of the witness.
You should ask open questions that allow the witness to tell their story. Try to start your questions with 'who', 'what', 'when', 'where' or 'why'. Write down some sample questions. It is important to be polite to everyone in the court room, even if you disagree with what they are saying or if someone is lying.
You must ask questions beginning with words such as Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Describe, Tell, Explain, etc. You should ask questions that allow the witness to provide her own answer. For example, Witness, what did you see at the intersection of A and B streets?