The Art of Cross-Examination in Family Law Cases

Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Annual ConventionMarch 2015 n The Greenbrier

The Art of Cross-Examination in Family Law Cases

Gerald F. Ivey

The  Art  of  Cross-­‐Examina3on    in  Family  Law  Cases  

Gerald  F.  Ivey  Finnegan,  Henderson,  Farabow,  GarreB  &  Dunner,  LLP®  

March  27,  2015  

Cross-­‐examina,on:  Purpose,  Methods,  and  Techniques  

•  The  Purpose  of  Cross-­‐examina,on  •  Argue  Through,  Not  With,  the  Witness    •  Framing  Ques,ons  for  Cross-­‐examina,on    •  Learning  to  Lead    •  Avoid  WriCen  Ques,ons  •  Reject  the  Commandments    •  Three  Techniques      

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Cross-­‐examina,on:  Purpose,  Methods,  and  Techniques  (Con,nued)  

•  Cross-­‐Examining  to  Impeach      •  Cross-­‐Examining  to  Get  Help  (Hitchhiking)    •  Cross-­‐Examining  to  Limit    •  The  Commandments  Are  Mostly  Wrong    •  Use  Only  Leading  Ques,ons    •  Make  Witnesses  Answer  “Yes”  or  “No”    •  Don’t  Ask  Ques,ons  Unless  You  Know  the  Answer    •  Don’t  Ask  “How”  or  “Why”      

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Cross-­‐examina,on:  Purpose,  Methods,  and  Techniques  (Con,nued)  

•  Controlling  the  Witness  Properly    •  Witnesses  Who  Volunteer    •  Volunteering  Admissible  Informa,on    •  Volunteering  Inadmissible  Informa,on    •  Adverse  Tes,mony    •  Cross-­‐examina,on  Versus  Direct  Examina,on    •  Cross-­‐examine  or  Not?    

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Cross-­‐examina,on:  Purpose,  Methods,  and  Techniques  (Con,nued)  

•  The  Scope  of  Cross-­‐examina,on    •  Dealing  with  the  Ul,mate  Issues    •  What  Will  the  Witness  Say?    •  Organizing  the  Cross  •  Note-­‐Taking  during  Direct    •  Where  to  Start  and  End      

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Three  Tools  of  Cross-­‐Examina,on  

•  Prior  Inconsistent  Statements  •  Deposing  Adverse  Witnesses  and  Par,es    •  Listening  to  the  Direct    •  Fair  Use  of  Impeaching  Evidence  •  Credibility  ACacks:  Case-­‐specific  and  General  Character    

•  Bias  and  Interest  ACacks    •  The  Rules  and  Laws  of  Probability      

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Prior  Inconsistent  Statements  

Most  impeachment  will  not  be  based  on  anything  drama,c.  

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Cumula,ve  Destruc,on  

•  Edward  BenneC  Williams  • US  v.  Connolly  • Numerous  Points  of  Inconsistency  

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Cumula,ve  Destruc,on  (Con,nued)  

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Cumula,ve  Destruc,on  (Con,nued)  

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Cumula,ve  Destruc,on  (Con,nued)  

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Cumula,ve  Destruc,on  (Con,nued)  

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Prior  Inconsistent  Statements  

•  Deposi,ons  •  Emails  and  correspondence  •  Authen,ca,on  

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Illustra,ons  from  Aliena,on    of  Affec,ons  Case  

 Names  Have  Been  Changed     Exhibit  A  

 Exhibit  B     Exhibit  C  

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