Never, never, never, on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to.

Harper Lee
About This Quote

As we all know, we should never ask a witness a question we don't already know the answer to. The only exception to this rule is if you are instructed by the Court to do so. When you do this you are putting yourself at risk, because it is likely that you will be giving away information about yourself or someone else. Many witnesses can be very adept at giving vague or vague-sounding information, which may make it difficult for you to follow up with more detailed questions later.

Source: To Kill A Mockingbird

Some Similar Quotes
  1. The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. - William Shakespeare
  2. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times. - Paulo Coelho
  3. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
  4. The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them. - Paulo Coelho
  5. By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. - Confucius
More Quotes By Harper Lee
  1. With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.
  2. It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you.
  3. Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.
  4. As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don't think you are the most important being on earth. Rich or poor, you then can look anyone in the eye and say, 'I'm probably no better than you, but I'm...
  5. Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in.
Related Topics