of course all his answers were: "I plead the fifth!"

It was a civil case, I was suing him to terminate his parental rights because he was up on a double murder and awaiting his trial.

Trial lasted ~2 hours.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069580)

Tbf, I could see certain federal judges telling you no re-cross but still

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069574)

You can do a second cross in family law cases or cases tried to the bench I suppose and I have done this in those cases if the judge doesnt mind sloppy

does not work out in civil jury trials ime as there has to be some exceptional reason - of course it is judges discretion but they teach them not to allow it in judges school

As i said ive gotten it ONCE in that setting.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069621)

direct/cross/redirect/recross/re-redirect (I was re-recross and I declined).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069557)

1. redirects should be limited by scope of the cross, and recrosses by the scope of the redirect.

if a cross is great, maybe the OC needs to rehab a bit and redirect. and MAYBE that prompts some new material that requires a recross

but a judge doing his job should shitcan this really quick. both lawyers had their bite and both need to live with the result. didnt like something your own witness said? tough shit.

2. lawyers always, fucking always, forget they are performers. They think they need to mechanically score points on some checklist. Jurors are bored as fuck, angry about being here, and are thinking about lunch and whether you are fucking co-counsel. Repeatedly appearing to do re-re-direct, and re-re-cross mostly annoys them and clues them into exactly what youre worried about - that bad thing the wit said. Makes you look scared by it.

Do a thorough direct. Do a good cross. If something absolutely must be fixed, and the jury seems comfortable and fed and awake, MAYBE go back up there once. This aint law school

Sometimes the best way to deal with a bad statement by a witness is to completely ignore it. deal with it in argument later. don't highlight it by fighting so hard to get him to say somethign different

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069641)

if i were a judge Id deny them across the board unless the witness took some entirely impossible to predict left turn that completely changes the nature of the case

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069668)

The worst is if you are going to try to start re-cross and stand up and promptly get shot down by the judge in front of the jury -- Great Look, counselor.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069674)

They are 95% headaches and waiting and PANIC that maybe you didnt file something correctly.

But 5% so much fun with stagecraft and lolling when your OC does some dumb shit like that. You get to catch a juror's eyes and make a face like "check out the retard over there". 180 feeling

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069691)

you can get close to the same exhilaration at times without all the stress

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5591779&forum_id=2#48069705)