Avoid Adjectives
When cross examining witnesses avoid adjectives. The use of an adjective just invites an argument. For example:
Q: You were driving extremely fast?
A: No, I wasn't driving "extremely" fast.
Q: You were driving 30 miles per hour over the speed limit. Wouldn't you say that that was extremely fast?
A: No, there was no other traffic and the road was wide and straight. So while I was going 30 miles per hour over the speed limit, I was not driving "extremely" fast for the conditions.
The better questions would be as follows:
Q: You were going 65 miles per hour?
A: Yes.
Q: The speed limit was 35 miles per hour?
A: Yes.
The members of the jury will fill in "extremely fast" on their own. While the witness may still try to slip in his excuse in response to the better questions, it is much less likely to happen.
