Video depositions are an easy way to gather evidence from several people in many different locations, but the process is not without its drawbacks—especially where paperwork is concerned. Consider the limitations you will have in organizing and strategizing your deposition if you are presenting evidence from miles away.
How to Organize and Present Court Documents During a Video Deposition
- Control of key documents. Many attorneys will send the documents to be used in evidence to the court reporter who is at the deponent’s location. While this is effective in entering the documents into the record, it affords the attorney little control over how and when the documents are produced to the witness, allowing the witness to hone his reaction to the information.
- Presenting multiple documents. Organizing your paperwork can be a nightmare at the best of times, but in cases where many pieces of evidence look identical except for a few names or dates, it may be nearly impossible.
- Clarification. Once a piece of paper is handed to a witness, you are powerless to present any further clarification. If the witness can’t find a particular line, you cannot point to the information in question.
- Exhibit modifications. If you ask your witness to underline, circle, or otherwise make changes to an exhibit in a remote deposition, it can be difficult for you to note the changes. The court reporter or opposing counsel may hold the modified document up to the camera—or worse, you may wait for the modified document to be mailed back to your office.
- Passing papers. Paper evidence will often be passed from a witness to a court reporter, and pass through the eyes of several attendees. This is a time-consuming process, and can easily lead to mistakes in testimony if multiple documents are circulating at once.
How to Integrate Court Documents Into Your Video Deposition
At Casamo & Associates, we know that digitizing case files is the most effective way to organize and present the information in your case. When you digitize your documents, you can control when each piece of evidence is revealed to the witness, easily sort through and find each file, circle or highlight important information in real time, and allow all parties to see the information presented simultaneously.
Not only can we organize your files, but we streamline the video deposition process using Remote Counsel, and can help you add narration, captions, and edit the finished deposition product.
