Making Objections

Argumentative

• If the attorney is being aggressive or rude to the witness
• “Objection, your honor, argumentative/opposing council is badgering the witness”

Compound Question`

• When a question has multiple parts (“you went to the park and then walked home and then you saw …”)
• “Objection, your honor, this is a compound question”

Completion

• When opposing council asks a question while the witness is still speaking
• “Objection, your honor, I ask that my witness be allowed to finish their answer”

Lack of Personal Knowledge

• When ops-council has not introduced evidence to show that the witness has knowledge about a certain event
• “Objection, your honor, lack of personal knowledge” → Explain what they lack knowledge about

Speculation

• When a regular witness gives an opinion they’re not qualified to give regarding the state of mind of someone else (what they saw, heard, felt, wanted)
• “Objection, your honor, speculation

Lack of Foundation

• Use this when ops-council tries to make a witness an expert without providing credible context
• “Objection, your honor, opposing council has not laid proper foundation to show that this witness is qualified as an expert in __ field” → and why

Hearsay

• When the question calls for hearsay or the witness testifies to hearsay
• “Objection, your honor, this is hearsay” → why (if the ope-council says otherwise)

Improper Impeachment

• When ops-council tries to impeach your witness, but there was no contradiction between the affidavit and the testimony
• “Objection, your honor, this was an improper impeachment. No contradiction was elicited, so any statements read from the affidavit are hearsay”