These
are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts which people actually
said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters
who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were taking place.
It's worth reading to the END! Those of you who have worked with attorneys will
find this very easy to understand. Others will find it
easier. ATTORNEY: Are you
sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie
there. _______________________________ATTORNEY: What is your date of
birth? WITNESS: July 18th. ATTORNEY: What year? WITNESS: Every
year. _____________________________________ATTORNEY: What gear were
you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and
Reeboks. ______________________________________ATTORNEY: This
myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS:
Yes. ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I
forget. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you
forgot? _____________________________________ATTORNEY: How old is
your son, the one living with you? WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I
can't remember which. ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you? WITNESS:
Forty-five years. _____________________________________ATTORNEY: What
was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said,
'Where am I, Cathy?' ATTORNEY: And why d id that upset you? WITNESS: My
name is Susan. ______________ ________________________ATTORNEY: Do
you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo? WITNESS: We both
do. ATTORNEY: Voodoo? WITNESS: We do. ATTORNEY: You do? WITNESS:
Yes, voodoo. ______________________________________ATTORNEY: Now
doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know
about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar
exam? ____________________________________ATTORNEY: The youngest son,
the twenty-one-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS: Uh, he's
twenty-one. ________________________________________ATTORNEY: Were
you present when your picture was taken? WITNESS: Would you repeat the
question? ______________________________________ ATTORNEY: So the date of
conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what
were you doing at that time? WITNESS:
Uh.... ______________________________________ATTORNEY: She had three
children, right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS:
None. ATTORNEY: Were there any
girls? ______________________________________ATTORNEY: How was your
first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death. ATTORNEY: And by whose death
was it terminated? ______________________________________ATTORNEY:
Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had
a beard. ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a
female? ______________________________ ________ATTORNEY: Is your
appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to
your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to
work. ______________________________________ATTORNEY: Doctor, how
many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All my
autopsies are performed on dead
people. ______________________________________ATTORNEY: ALL your
responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS:
Oral. ______________________________________ATTORNEY: Do you recall
the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30
p.m. ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNE SS: No, he was
sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on
him. ____________________________________________ATTORNEY: Are you
qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS:
Huh? ____________________________________________And the best for
lastATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check
for a pulse? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood
pressure? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing? WITNESS:
No. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you
began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure,
Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTOR
NEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes,
it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing
law.