How can I discredit a witness in a criminal court case?
2) Discrediting Cross-Examination: A discrediting cross-examination occurs when you attempt to discredit the believability of a witness’ factual testimony by showing that it doesn’t jibe with common sense and/or with what others say. You may want to use cross to show what the witness does not know or what the witness did not do in investigation. You may want to employ cross to impeach the witness. Evidentiary procedure and rules provide a number of traditional modes of impeachment. For example, a witness may be impeached by proof of inability to understand the nature and obligation of an oath to tell the truth, Rule 601(a) TRE (children and the insane) and Rule 603 TRE; proof of difficulty in perception, Rule 602 TRE;proof of faulty memory, Rule 602 TRE; proof of inability to communicate, Rule 604 TRE; proof of bias, Rule 613(b); proof of interest in the outcome; proof of motive to falsify; proof of corruption, as when a witness has been offered an incentive, reward, sentencing concess
