Types of Witnesses – Fact Witness
Fact witnesses have an important role to play in the American justice system. Since the roles of these individuals vary widely from case to case, it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations about them. However, fact witnesses generally provide testimony that strengthens legal arguments by corroborating other pieces of circumstantial or physical evidence.
While a single fact witness is rarely sufficient to prove or disprove a case’s entire theme, multiple fact witnesses can craft a powerful narrative that supports physical evidence or eyewitness testimony. In order to pass muster, these narratives must be straightforward, believable, and consistent. Inexperienced fact witnesses who provide irrelevant, inconsistent, or unconvincing testimony may actively undermine any attorneys’ case and increase the likelihood of a mistrial or other unfavorable outcomes. For this reason, competent attorneys must subject their witnesses to focused programs of deposition training.
The Perfect Witness is designed to train fact witnesses to avoid mistakes that can damage their attorneys’ cases. With a series of vignettes that outline common courtroom deposition and situations, our deposition training video offers a “simple, effective, and efficient” look at the mechanics of testimony. Our approach allows fact witnesses to place themselves in potentially sensitive situations before their testimony and prepares them to handle tough questions from opposing attorneys.
All witnesses are expected to appear reliable and credible by delivering consistent, focused testimony. Since fact witnesses serve as a third-party conduit for the actions and utterances of others, they are held to particularly high standards of consistency. Our deposition training tool helps fact witnesses deliver accurate stories without making contradictory statements or providing unnecessary information.
For starters, The Perfect Witness devotes significant amounts of time to the importance of truthfulness and the pitfalls of guessing the answers to unclear questions. Fact witnesses who use our training video must demonstrate that they understand the importance of these concepts. Further, they must show that they understand the value of clear responses and know when to pause and reflect before answering a question. This comprehensive approach ensures that fact witnesses will appear as credible as possible.
Fact witness training can consume valuable resources that you simply cannot afford to provide. Fortunately, The Perfect Witness can help. Take a moment to sign up for your free profile on our site and learn just how easy it can be to prepare for your case. With our powerful online witness training program at your service, you can devote all of your time and energy to building a strong, persuasive case.