What can a prosecuting attorney NOT use?

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Multiple Choice

What can a prosecuting attorney NOT use?

Explanation:
Leading questions are not allowed during direct examination because they push the witness toward a specific answer. In direct examination, the prosecutor should let the witness describe what happened in the witness’s own words, so questions stay neutral and open-ended. For example, asking, “Can you describe what you observed?” invites a narrative answer, whereas asking, “You saw the defendant at the scene, right?” already suggests the answer and can distort the witness’s testimony. Leading questions are commonly used on cross-examination to test credibility and pin down details, but they’re not appropriate for eliciting initial testimony from a witness in court. Other question types—direct questions, open-ended questions, and even hypothetical scenarios—are appropriate in the right contexts when used to draw out facts or apply relevant reasoning.

Leading questions are not allowed during direct examination because they push the witness toward a specific answer. In direct examination, the prosecutor should let the witness describe what happened in the witness’s own words, so questions stay neutral and open-ended. For example, asking, “Can you describe what you observed?” invites a narrative answer, whereas asking, “You saw the defendant at the scene, right?” already suggests the answer and can distort the witness’s testimony.

Leading questions are commonly used on cross-examination to test credibility and pin down details, but they’re not appropriate for eliciting initial testimony from a witness in court. Other question types—direct questions, open-ended questions, and even hypothetical scenarios—are appropriate in the right contexts when used to draw out facts or apply relevant reasoning.

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