Don't you wish . . .

[Kyung]

So I'm taking this deposition. And I've been on it for several days now. Enough to get familiar w/most of the names. And we've had about three or four different witnesses.

So when they're asking this witness questions about the various people who they work with, and they say a first name but they can't remember the last name, don't you wish you could tell them when they're obviously struggling to find the last name?

Or you know when you know the answer to a question bec. it's come up previously, do you want to answer for the witness? Sometimes I'll start writing the answer it's supposed to be, then the witness busts out with this answer that is either entirely wrong or doesn't make sense at all. It makes me wonder, did they just lie or did the other witness.

Another thing is we've been having revolving attorneys on the case. So the witness may talk about something that was discussed in a previous case. But bec. the witness may have a really strong accent, the attorney keeps butchering it and repeating the words, and you want to say it's such and such already. In the meantime, they're butchering your beautiful transcript.

[Kyung]

Even better is when they say spell the name and it ends up being something like David Manieshewitz or something, and they spell David, but the don't spell Manieshweitz.

[Katy Cuellar]

How about when the witness spells something that's elementary to what you're doing...like a doctor..."radiographic"...and he looks at you...R-A-D-I-O-G-R-A-P-H-I-C...and you're thinking, "Oh, c'mon, buddy, if I can't spell that, what the heck do you think I'm doing here in the first place?" Yet you say nothing, but it's painful to be taken for a dumb bunny.

[Mary Motley O'Brien]

Or how about when the atty is asking about a location of something.....one time a long time ago, that happened to me..."So you were out by that lake in Laughlin"..........something "Landing" and I knew exactly what it was because I used to go there all the time and there's silence while they're trying to remember it, I think I even whispered...."Catherine's Landing" and then put my hand up at my mouth and go "oops" It's tough to keep your mouth shut in those situations, especially when it's a light and stress-free environment, and everyone is really nice to each other

[Katy Cuellar]

I'm always amazed when the attorney doesn't have a clue what the witness just said and goes on to ask another question anyway. I once worked in courtroom with terrible acoustics, and the judge would repeatedly ask me to read back because he didn't hear it, and I'd wonder, "Well, if you can't hear it, what makes you think I can?" But I could, because I had to, and you eventually become a skilled lip reader.

[Kyung]

I love that. When the attorney misunderstood something the witness says and then keeps repeating it wrong through the whole transcript. Craziness.