The Law
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word
for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these
exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan!
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ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
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ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
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ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitt'in me?
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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.... I was gett'in laid!
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ATTORNEY: She had three children, right? WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? WITNESS: Are you shitt'in me? Your Honor, I think
I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
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ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
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ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard. ATTORNEY: Was this
a male or a female? WITNESS: Guess.
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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.
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ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All my autopsies are
performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
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ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral.
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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? WITNESS: No, he was sitting on
the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
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ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
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And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: 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. ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been
alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law
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