How Cases Move Through Federal Courts
Civil Cases
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Presentation of evidence
The evidence the jury (or judge, in a bench trial) relies on to decide the case consists of two types: (1) physical evidence, such as documents, photographs, and objects (also called exhibits), and (2) the testimony of witnesses who are questioned by the lawyers.
The lawyers start to introduce the evidence after the opening statements. First, the plaintiff’s lawyer questions his or her witnesses. When lawyers question the witnesses they have called to testify, it is called direct examination. After the direct examination of a plaintiff’s witness, the defendant’s lawyer may question the witness; this is called cross-examination. If, after the cross-examination, the plaintiff’s lawyer wants to ask the witness more questions, he or she may do so on a redirect examination, and then the defendant’s lawyer has an opportunity for a recross-examination. After all of the plaintiff’s witnesses have been examined, the defense calls its witnesses, and the same procedures are repeated. |
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