Examination in Chief is defined as what?

• A. The questioning by opposing counsel
• B. The cross-examination
• C. The submission of closing arguments
• D. The questioning of a witness by the party that called him

Answer: (D)

Examination in chief is the initial questioning of a witness by the party who called the witness to testify. This direct questioning is meant to elicit the witness’s own account of the events and establish the facts they know, laying the foundation for the evidence to come. It is distinct from cross-examination, where the opposing party questions the witness to test accuracy and credibility. Closing arguments come later, after all evidence has been presented. So the description that fits best is the questioning of a witness by the party that called him. In practice, you usually use open-ended questions during this phase to let the witness tell their story.