Brad Carlyon
County Attorney
Since most witnesses are unfamiliar with court surroundings and understandably have fears or misconceptions about testifying, here is some information that might help you.
Keep in mind that the purpose of this information is to help you testify more clearly and accurately, and to be more easily understood by the judge and jury. For a judge or jury to make an appropriate decision, all of the evidence must be presented in a truthful manner.
You already know that you must take an oath in court to tell the truth. WE WANT YOU TO TELL THE TRUTH. The manner in which you testify, however, will affect the judge and jury’s perception of your truthfulness. If you are halting, stumbling, hesitant, arrogant or inaccurate, the judge and the jury may doubt you are telling all the facts in a truthful way. A witness who is confident and straightforward will make the court and jury have more faith in is being said.