What term describes when a witness's deposition is used to contradict the testimony given at trial by challenging credibility?

What term describes when a witness's deposition is used to contradict the testimony given at trial by challenging credibility?

• A. Interrogatories
• B. Deposition
• C. Affidavit
• D. Impeaching the witness

Answer: (D)

Impeaching the witness is about challenging the reliability of what a person says at trial by showing they gave inconsistent, previously sworn statements. When a witnesstestifies at trial, an attorney can point to statements made earlier under oath, such as in a deposition, that don’t align with the trial testimony. The purpose is not to prove those earlier statements are true, but to cast doubt on the witness’s credibility and reliability. Depositions are sworn out‑of‑court statements gathered during discovery, and they provide the material used to demonstrate inconsistencies. Interrogatories are simply discovery questions, not tools for questioning credibility at trial, and an affidavit is a separate sworn written statement that could be used in different ways, but the act described here specifically is impeachment.

Impeaching the witness is about challenging the reliability of what a person says at trial by showing they gave inconsistent, previously sworn statements. When a witnesstestifies at trial, an attorney can point to statements made earlier under oath, such as in a deposition, that don’t align with the trial testimony. The purpose is not to prove those earlier statements are true, but to cast doubt on the witness’s credibility and reliability. Depositions are sworn out‑of‑court statements gathered during discovery, and they provide the material used to demonstrate inconsistencies. Interrogatories are simply discovery questions, not tools for questioning credibility at trial, and an affidavit is a separate sworn written statement that could be used in different ways, but the act described here specifically is impeachment.