cross examination
Lawyer questions witness
Cross examination is the questioning of a witness by the opposing side in a legal proceeding, after direct examination by the party who called them.
The goal is to test credibility, expose weaknesses, or elicit favorable admissions: The defense attorney's cross examination revealed inconsistencies in the witness's story.
Outside courtrooms, any aggressive or probing questioning may be called cross examination: My parents subjected my date to a cross examination.
Also spelled cross-examination.
- interrogateQuestion formally and persistently
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
- hostile witnessTestifier favoring opposing party
- witness boxCourtroom testimony enclosure
leading question · trick question · trial · hearsay · badgering · Perry Mason · legal · stand down · perjury · testimony · probe · interview · courtroom · burden of proof · voir dire · objection · corroboration · closing statement
- courtroomjudge, jury, oath taking, lawyer, bench
- evidenceevidence, evidence bag, circumstantial evidence, proof, admissible
- investigationinvestigation, detective, evidence, clue, case
- debaterebuttal, argument, rebuttals, refute, case
- legal fictionlegal drama, courtroom drama, crime fiction, detective stories, To Kill a Mockingbird
- rhetoricrhetoric, persuasion, oratory, argumentation, debate
cross examinationsworn statement
Legally binding written testimony
affidavit · deposition · written testimony · documentary evidence · opening statement
cross, examination, cross-examine, cross-examiner, cross-examined, cross-examining, examine, examiner, examinee