What is Cross-Examination?

Cross-examination is a process by which the defendant and his or her criminal defense attorney question the plaintiff and witnesses. In a criminal trial, the defendant must be prepared to tell his or her side of the story. The defendant may also call witnesses. The criminal defense attorney will call witnesses to assist the defendant’s telling of the truth.

There’s no way for defense counsel and the defendant to predict what those opposing him or her will say. An adversary may bring witnesses to tell their stories. That’s one of the reasons cross-examination is so important to the outcome of the trial.

A criminal defense attorney carefully considers each witness he or she will call to defend your case. It’s common for the criminal defense counsel to depose the witnesses before the court date because it’s important to know what each witness is likely to say beforehand.

At trial, you or one of your witnesses may be subject to direct examination. Your attorney will question you or another party in order to provide evidence with the goal of supporting your case.

When the defense attorney cross-examines adversarial witnesses or the plaintiff, he or she will ask questions about things that don’t make sense. The focus of cross-examination is to hone in on inconsistent statements or provable false statements he or she makes. Cross-examination demonstrates to the judge that the plaintiff or the witness isn’t truthful. A skillful defense attorney will draw out some of the reasons the individual may have to lie about the situation. The defense counsel will also ask questions about statements that differ from what the witness or plaintiff stated under oath in court.

In some cases, the defendant may benefit by presenting the facts without calling witnesses. In that way, the defense counsel may limit the adversary from attempts at cross-examination.

If you or someone you love has been accused of a serious crime, you need a knowledgeable and skillful criminal defense attorney. Contact The Law Offices of John W. Tumelty, New Jersey Court Certified Criminal Trial Attorney, to schedule your initial case evaluation now.