A deposition is a statement given under oath that is used in court proceedings. Sometimes an insurance company will ask a claimant to give a deposition, but it’s a good idea to have a lawyer on your side if this happens. But one lawyer went a little too far according to ABA Journal.
A U.S. Magistrate Judge sanctioned a lawyer because he interrupted a deposition 145 times and made 106 objections. He now has to pay $1000 dollars and attorney fees and costs. The lawyer was representing a shipping company against an injured deckhand who allegedly fell on the job and hurt himself.
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Nearly half of the objections were long and rambling, one of which even covered six pages of the transcript. The lawyer also instructed his witness not to answer 16 times despite not having a valid reason. He even accused the other lawyer of committing a crime during the deposition process, though he was unable to say which crime was violated.
The judge also said that the lawyer failed to properly prepare his witness before the deposition. The sanctions motion has gone unopposed by the lawyer and by the shipping company. Hopefully, this punishment will teach this lawyer a lesson on proper behavior during a deposition!
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