Common Objections
Objective: Students will learn common objections used in a court room to better understand the process of
a trial.
Terminology
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Badgering:
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on cross examination, not allowing the witness to answer the question
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Beyond the scope of personal knowledge:
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there's no way the witness could know or should be expected to know the answer to the
question
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Characterization:
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the witness is stating a generality about someone
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Hearsay:
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introducing an out-of-court statement to prove that what was said is true
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Inflammatory:
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the witness' statment is unfairly prejudicial
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Irrelevant:
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the question is not pertinent to the defendent's guild or innocence
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Leading the Witness:
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on direct examination, asking a question that requires a yes-or-no answer
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Not an expert:
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the question calls for expert testimony that the witness cannot give
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Opinion:
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the witness is not qualified to give an opinion on the matter
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Speculation:
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the question requires a guess on the part of the witness