When you are testifying in Court, especially in front of a jury, your credibility is everything. You want the jury to believe that what you are saying is true. If you do not look credible, then even the truth might sound like a lie to the jury, which can lead to them believing people that are actually lying.
If you want to make sure that you look credible before testifying in your own defense, skilled Los Angeles DUI attorneys can help prepare you for your big day of testifying.
How to Look Credible While Testifying
According to the American Bar Association, the national organization for attorneys, there are seven things that you should do to ensure that you come across as credible to the jury. None of these things are very difficult to do, but each will go a long way toward ensuring you appear credible.
Be Able to Explain How You Know What You Are Saying Is True
The first thing that you should make sure you are able to do is to give a convincing answer if you are asked how you know the information that you are testifying to. This goes beyond saying “I was there,” you need to be able to say how clearly you saw the event that you are testifying about and how clearly you can remember it.
For this reason, it is important to tell your attorney if there is anything that might be used to cast doubt on your testimony. For example, were you close to the events or far away? Did you wear your glasses that day? Bad answers to these questions can cost you your credibility through no fault of your own.
Refresh Your Memory
The absolute worst answer you can give to any question is “I do not remember.” Even though you will sometimes be asked to testify about events that happened years before, if you tell the jury that you do not remember something, you will only look like a liar. Therefore, it is very important that you refresh your memory about all of the events before taking the stand.
You can do this by reviewing documents from the day of the event, looking at pictures, or listening to voicemails, to name a few things that you can do. In the future, if you ever witness something that you think you might need to testify about, take notes that you can look back on later.
Body Language Is Key
One of the biggest things that juries will look at is a witness’s body language. If you appear jumpy or not confident, the jury will be far less likely to believe you. In fact, body language analysis is even recognized by courts and legal scholars as one of the most important tools that juries have at their disposal.
For this reason, whenever you are testifying, you should do your best to project confidence. Make sure that you make eye contact with the lawyer asking you questions, and answer quickly and confidently.
Do Not Contradict Yourself or Other Witnesses
If you are called to testify in Court, chances are you have been asked questions before, either at a deposition or by the police – this is not a coincidence. The lawyers will never ask you a question in open court that they do not know the answer to. Make sure that you give consistent statements because if you contradict an earlier statement, you best believe that the questioning lawyer will pounce on the opportunity to make you look bad.
Sometimes, other witnesses will give conflicting testimony to yours. When this happens, do not fret, this is typical. Just make sure that you know how to explain why your information is correct. You will most likely not be allowed in the courtroom while other witnesses are testifying, so be sure to be quick on your feet with these explanations.
Attitude Is Everything
One way to quickly kill your credibility is to have a bad attitude about testifying. If you act unseriously, flippantly, or worst of all, combatively, the jury will not believe what you are saying. It is important, therefore, that you answer all of the questions asked of you in a respectful manner. This will make you look credible before the jury.
Calm Down
On the other hand, you do not want to look nervous. If you look nervous, you might look like you have something to hide. It is very important that you look very calm. Take it easy and testify in a serious but calm manner.
In fact, if you find an appropriate moment, consider telling a quick joke. If you are calm, collected, and follow all of the above tips, you will look very knowledgeable and honest to the jury.
Wear a Blue Tie
Believe it or not, there is scientific data suggesting that people are more likely to believe strangers if those strangers are wearing the color blue. This, of course, includes jurors.
While this might seem dumb, you should do anything in your power to make sure that you are as credible as possible. When you are getting dressed for court, consider wearing a nice suit with a blue tie. Science suggests that you will be more believable.
Ask a Los Angeles DUI Attorney to Help You Prepare
The best way to prepare your testimony is to prepare with a skilled and experienced attorney. Lawyers have seen all types of testimony and know how to prepare their witnesses to testify in the most effective way possible. If you are frightened or stressed about the prospect of testifying in open court, you should contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney to help you prepare your testimony.
If you have received a subpoena to testify, do not just “wing it.” Make sure that you contact a skilled, professional, and experienced Los Angeles DUI attorney to help you prepare your testimony. And if you are facing criminal charges yourself, contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney today for a free consultation and case review.
