Litigation Lawyers in Huntingdon
Depositions are part of the discovery procedure in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania civil litigation.
"Discovery" is a procedure that happens before a trial in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. During the discovery process, both sides are obligated to make relevant information available to each other.
In Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.
Conducting A Civil Deposition in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
If the parties believe that a witness in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, bad health, upcoming military deployment, possible incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Additionally, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.
It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, this can be a huge headache.
To help mitigate this inconvenience, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania permits witnesses who are appearing in depositions to be paid a set amount of money for their time, and reimbursed for travel expenses. However, if there is any evidence that this money is being used to influence a witness' testimony, there is going to be a significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.
If you are called to a deposition in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, it's absolutely imperative that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.
How Can A Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?
If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Huntingdon, Pennsylvania lawyer. If either party to the lawsuit calls you for a deposition, your lawyer will have plenty of advice for you. You should, of course, follow that advice to the letter.
If you're not a party to a lawsuit in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer.