Nervous, inexperienced expert witnesses read as more honest to juries
Evidence
As a rule, Schlichtmann liked inexperienced witnesses. “Virgins,” he called them. They were generally impressionable enough to follow his advice and listen to his warnings. They might get frightened under cross-examination, but Schlichtmann felt this was no handicap. “The honest, scared witness is best,” he once explained. “They exude honesty when they’re nervous. Judges and juries love them.” — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 1414
Categorization
- SEED: An essay on the performance of credibility in the courtroom: why visible fear outperforms composure as a signal of truthfulness.
- XREF: connects to: Lawyers forgo valid objections because jurors read technicality as concealment. — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action , 1758; Under crushing uncertainty, litigants read chance events as providential signs about their case. — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action , 1345; Cross-examination exposes novel expert testimony as unverified reading rather than tested method — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action , 2106 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Cross-examination exposes novel expert testimony as unverified reading rather than tested method
#complicates(0.90) — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 2106 - Cross-examination can make true testimony appear false to a jury.
#complicates(0.90) — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 2067