We see it in the movies.
We see it in on TV.
Especially dramas.
Courtroom dramas.
The culmination of each of these courtroom dramas involve cross examination.
It's a fight between good and evil.
It's a fight for justice.
It's the pinnacle of the entire show.
You can feel the tension.
You know there's a hidden secret.
You know the attorney who is cross examining the witness it's going to do everything possible to expose this witness as a liar.
Often in these courtroom dramas the attorney is successful in getting the witness to break down and confess everything.
The attorney is often successful in getting the witness to turn into a blob of liquefying Jell-O.
It only happens on TV, in the movies and in our fantasies.
Every trial lawyer dreams of this happening.
Every trial lawyer who gets up to cross-examine a witness believes that his strategies and tactics will force the witness to admit that he was wrong.
Unfortunately, that's not what happens in reality.
In reality, the witness stand firm.
In reality, the attorney can start to poke holes and raise doubts about the opinions and conclusions raised by this witness.
We often see cross examination portrayed by an attorney who is angry, yelling, demanding and often obnoxious.
There are some attorneys who mimic these characteristics when questioning witnesses.
Sometimes, using that approach is not the best way to get what you want from a witness.
That's why you will see some of the best trial lawyers in New York take a different approach.
There's a saying that you can accomplish much with honey compared to vinegar.
Believe it or not, you will find some really good lawyers who are very pleasant during cross-examination.
