When you look at the facts of your sexual harassment case, the evidence may seem straightforward. Yet, there are bound to be legal complications related to your case that you’ll have to successfully navigate if you want to hold your employer accountable for the harm that’s been caused to you by unchecked sexual harassment. This will include properly navigating the discovery process and using the rules of evidence to your favor at trial. In this post, let’s look at what you can do to minimize the impact of witness testimony presented by the defense.
Weakening the effectiveness of the defense’s witness testimony
Regardless of whether they are lay or expert witnesses, there are usually strategies that you can use to dampen the impact of testimony given at trial. Here are a few ways of doing that:
- Using the witness’s prior inconsistent statements to show that their testimony is unreliable and shouldn’t be trusted.
- Demonstrating that the witness is motivated to testify against you, especially if it’s the accused harasser or your employer.
- Attacking the witness’s credentials to show that they’re not really qualified to speak to the issue at hand.
- Using effective cross-examination to show that the witness lacks certain factual knowledge that supports their assertions.
- Objecting to lines of questioning used by the defense to prevent certain testimony from being given altogether.
Take control of witness testimony in your sexual harassment case
It can be nerve-wracking to see the list of defense witnesses lined up to testify against you in a sexual harassment case. But try not to get overwhelmed. There are likely effective legal strategies you can use to protect your claim and your future. You simply have to know the law and how to use it to your advantage. If that has you on edge, don’t worry. Your attorney may be able to guide you along the way so that your future is shielded as much as possible.