What Is An Oral Deposition?
Each attorney may decide to take an Oral Deposition of key witnesses or of witnesses who can’t appear at trial and of other witnesses to discover what they will say at trial. For an Oral Deposition, the witness is placed under subpoena to appear and testify. The Oral Deposition may take place at the office of one of the attorneys or at the office of the witness (especially if the witness is a psychologist or doctor). A court reporter is also present. The court reporter places the witness under oath. The attorneys each ask the witness questions, as if they were in court. The witness has to answer and the court reporter takes down the questions and answers. Afterward, the court reporter prepares a transcript. The witness has an opportunity to review the transcript, make corrections, and sign it. At any trial or hearing in the case, the transcript (or part of it) may be read into evidence, as though the witness were in the courtroom testifying. If the witness testifies at a trial or heari
