{"id":903161,"date":"2024-08-15T14:22:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T20:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=903161"},"modified":"2024-08-15T14:22:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T20:22:06","slug":"deposition-eight-ethical-pitfalls-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/deposition-eight-ethical-pitfalls-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Ethical Pitfalls to Avoid at Your Next Deposition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.esquiresolutions.com\/eight-ethical-pitfalls-to-avoid-at-your-next-deposition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Esquire Deposition Solutions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The line dividing zealous advocacy and professional misconduct can be hard to spot, and it can appear with little advance notice during a heated moment in litigation. This is particularly true in pretrial depositions, which take place without judicial supervision and where the lawyers are left to call their own balls and strikes in question-and-answer sessions that often last all day long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this reason, aggressive but ethical advocacy requires all counsel to have a firm grasp of the ethical rules that govern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/deposition-can-insurer-dictate-how-to-conduct\/\">depositions<\/a> \u2013 as well as a personal commitment to faithfully abide by them. Failure to do so risks sanctions, the inconvenience and\/or embarrassment of conducting the same deposition twice, and possible adverse consequences for the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Watchwords: Candor and Civility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The following rules, phrased in a series of eight \u201cdo not\u201d commands, capture the most important considerations for lawful and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/bullying-in-the-legal-profession\/\">ethical deposition practice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do not make false statements during questioning.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Several ethical rules are implicated when a lawyer\u2019s questioning of a deponent contains a misstatement about the facts or the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/professional_responsibility\/publications\/model_rules_of_professional_conduct\/rule_4_1_truthfulness_in_statements_to_others\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rule 4.1<\/a>\u00a0of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (Truthfulness in Statements to Others) provides that a lawyer \u201cshall not knowingly \u2026 make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/professional_responsibility\/publications\/model_rules_of_professional_conduct\/rule_8_4_misconduct\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rule 8.4<\/a>\u00a0of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (Misconduct) prohibits a lawyer from \u201cengag[ing] in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/professional_responsibility\/publications\/model_rules_of_professional_conduct\/rule_3_3_candor_toward_the_tribunal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rule 3.3<\/a>\u00a0of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (Candor Toward the Tribunal) states that a lawyer may not knowingly \u201cmake a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal or fail to correct a false statement of material fact or law previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These rules cover not only demonstrably false assertions of fact, but also leading questions that contain as their predicate an untrue statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Do not ask questions designed to elicit false testimony.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Rule 3.3(3) states unequivocally that a lawyer \u201cmay not offer evidence that the lawyer knows to be false.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This rule is implicated when a lawyer leads a witness into making a false statement during a deposition and, later, when the lawyer offers the witness\u2019s false testimony into evidence at trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Do not fail to correct false statements.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Here again, Rule 3.3(3) controls. \u201cIf a lawyer, the lawyer\u2019s client, or a witness called by the lawyer, has offered material evidence and the lawyer comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable remedial measures, including, if necessary, disclosure to the tribunal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When defending a deposition, a lawyer\u2019s failure to correct a client\u2019s false statement likely runs afoul of Rule 3.3(3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Do not bluff.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>At a minimum, bluff with caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/oh-supreme-court\/1437825.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Cincinnati Bar Assoc. v. Statzer<\/a>, 800 N.E.2d 1117 (Ohio 2003), a lawyer conspicuously placed several cassette tapes in view of the deponent and falsely suggested that they contained recordings that could impeach the deponent\u2019s testimony. The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed a disciplinary panel\u2019s finding that the lawyer\u2019s conduct violated Ohio\u2019s professional ethical rule forbidding conduct involving fraud, deceit, dishonesty, or misrepresentation. The court also concluded that the lawyer violated a separate ethical rule prohibiting a lawyer from alluding to matters that will not be supported by admissible evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>Do not give verbal or non-verbal cues to the deponent.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/rhode-island\/supreme-court\/1993\/625-a-2d-775.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Kelvey v. Coughlin<\/a>, 625 A.2d 775 (1993), the Rhode Island Supreme Court addressed what was allegedly a common practice among that state\u2019s attorneys: directing deposition witnesses to refrain from answering questions, for any number of reasons. The court stated that the only permissible reason for an attorney to direct a witness to refrain from answering a deposition question is to prevent the deponent from divulging privileged information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along the way, the court had the following to say about objections that attempt to shape witness testimony:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Counsel for the deponent shall refrain from gratuitous comments and directing the deponent in regard to times, dates, documents, testimony, and the like. Counsel shall refrain from cuing the deponent by objecting in any manner other than stating an objection for the record followed by a word or two describing the legal basis for the objection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applying this rule, this objection is permissible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cObjection, compound question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this objection is not permissible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cObjection, you have misstated the standard of care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"6\">\n<li><strong>Do not direct the deponent to refrain from answering a question (except to assert privilege).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The rule announced in&nbsp;<em>Kelvey<\/em>&nbsp;is consistent with rules in the federal system and in many states. Lawyers may not defend their witness during depositions by instructing them to refrain from answering questions unless a privilege is at stake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\u00a0<em>Kelvey<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t the law everywhere. In Texas, for example,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stcl.edu\/lib\/TexasRulesProject\/TRCP194-199\/rule199-5Nov1999.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rule 199.5(f)<\/a>\u00a0specifically permits lawyers to instruct witnesses to refrain from answering questions for a number of reasons \u2013 in order to \u201cpreserve a privilege, comply with a court order or these rules, protect a witness from an abusive question or one for which any answer would be misleading,\u201d among other grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.esquiresolutions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PullQuote-format-7-20-1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esquiresolutions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PullQuote-format-7-20-1-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8565\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In cases in which it\u2019s foreseeable that opposing counsel will inquire about sensitive topics, a motion for a protective order prior to the deposition is the preferable strategy to limit questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"7\">\n<li><strong>Do not conduct mid-deposition conferences with the deponent.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless the court rules in your jurisdiction permit them. Most don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/hall-v-clifton-precision\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Hall v. Clifton Precision<\/a>, 150 F.R.D. 525 (E.D. Pa. 1993), a frequently cited ruling, the court came down hard on the topic of mid-deposition conferences between deponent and counsel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the deposition has begun, the preparation period is over and the deposing lawyer is entitled to pursue the chosen line of inquiry without interjection by the witness\u2019s counsel. Private conferences are barred during the deposition, and the fortuitous occurrence of a coffee break, lunch break, or evening recess is no reason to change the rules.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, Texas has gone its own way on this topic, permitting conferences during recesses and breaks. Rule 199.5(d) provides in pertinent part:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Private conferences between the witness and the witness\u2019s attorney during the actual taking of the deposition are improper except for the purpose of determining whether a privilege should be asserted. Private conferences may be held, however, during agreed recesses and adjournments. If the lawyers and witnesses do not comply with this rule, the court may allow in evidence at trial statements, objections, discussions, and other occurrences during the oral deposition that reflect upon the credibility of the witness or the testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.litigationandtrial.com\/2014\/06\/articles\/attorney\/deposition-witness-conference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">One commentator has suggested<\/a>\u00a0that a better approach is to distinguish between mid-deposition conferences that are requested by the deponent and those that are requested by counsel. Deponent-requested conferences should be allowed based on due process considerations, but counsel-requested conferences should be prohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"8\">\n<li><strong>Do not harass the deponent or opposing counsel<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Here we\u2019re\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esquiresolutions.com\/when-deposition-advocacy-becomes-unethical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">talking about professionalism and civility<\/a>. The following two examples should be sufficient to frame the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/principe-v-assay-partners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Principe v. Assay Partners<\/a>, 586 N.Y.S.2d 182 (1992), a male attorney directed the following comments toward a female attorney representing the deponent in a pretrial deposition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t have to talk to you, little lady;\u201d<br>\u201cTell that little mouse over there to pipe down;\u201d \u201cWhat do you know, young girl;\u201d<br>\u201cBe quiet, little girl;\u201d<br>\u201cGo away, little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.casemine.com\/judgement\/us\/59148cbcadd7b04934537356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Unique Concepts v. Brown<\/a>, 115 F.R.D. 292 (S.D.N.Y. 1987), similarly disparaging remarks were directed by one lawyer toward counsel for the deponent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou are being an obnoxious little twit. Keep your mouth shut.\u201d \u201cYou are a very rude and impertinent young man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The offending attorneys in&nbsp;<em>Principe<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Unique Concepts<\/em>&nbsp;were both sanctioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ABA Model Rule 8.4(g) specifically addresses this type of behavior, stating that attorneys should not \u201cengage in conduct that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or socioeconomic status in conduct related to the practice of law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/content\/dam\/aba\/administrative\/professional_responsibility\/aba-formal-opinion-493.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ABA Formal Opinion 493<\/a>, boorish, sexually suggestive comments during a deposition were called out for disapproval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>With the exception of rules against harassment and other uncivil behavior, the ethical rules that govern lawyer conduct during depositions are mainly intended to preserve the integrity of the legal system. By forbidding the knowing creation of false or otherwise unreliable evidence, the ethical rules governing pretrial depositions ensure that the factfinder has the best possible&nbsp;evidence on which to reach a decision in the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our adversarial system of justice, the first line of defense against the introduction of unreliable evidence is, of course, opposing counsel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When one of your cases is in need of a construction expert, estimates, insurance appraisal or umpire services in defect or insurance disputes &#8211; please call Advise &amp; Consult, Inc. at 888.684.8305, or email <a href=\"mailto:experts@adviseandconsult.net\">experts@adviseandconsult.net<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Esquire Deposition Solutions The line dividing zealous advocacy and professional misconduct can be hard to spot, and it can appear with little advance notice during a heated moment in litigation. This is particularly true in pretrial depositions, which take place without judicial supervision and where the lawyers are left to call their own balls and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/deposition-eight-ethical-pitfalls-to-avoid\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Eight Ethical Pitfalls to Avoid at Your Next Deposition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[172],"tags":[9895,27,474],"class_list":["post-903161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-law-2","tag-advise-consult","tag-construction-law","tag-deposition","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Eight Ethical Pitfalls to Avoid at Your Next Deposition - Advise &amp; 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