The Deposition
By Danny C. Wash
The mood in the room was nervous charged
with anger, fear, and resentment. The
Court reporter tinkered with her equipment
while the witness nervously eyed the lawyer
who was adjusting his papers and notepad.
The opposing attorney whispered to his associate
and the associate smiled and reached into her bag.
The lawyer glared at the attorney as the witness began to sweat.
"Are you ready" asked the reporter who gave the
oath to the anxious witness. "I will" she said as she
lowered her hand and raised her guard.
"State your name please" and the dance was on.
Where were you, what did you see, when did this and
that happen, how do you know, and who was there?
And it drones on amid objections, disputes and
bickering. At the end everyone looks at the piles of
documents and the 500 feet of the court reporter's
recordings and wonders whether what has been said and what has
not been said was too much or not enough.
Can't we work this out says the attorney to the lawyer? Let's talk says
the lawyer and in another 10,000 words it's settled and the deposition is dumped
into the boxes of other forgotten testimony and useless things in their files.
Case closed and the lawyer and attorney head to their next deposition.
"State your name please."
