direct examination

Definition of direct examination

: the first examination of a witness by the party calling the witness — compare cross-examination

Examples of direct examination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On June 11, 2019, during a break in a homicide trial, an assistant prosecutor asked the judge for feedback on her direct examination of the medical examiner. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Complaint: Detroit judge sexually taunted prosecutors: 'You want foreplay?'," 14 Aug. 2020 CT scans of the child’s ribs before the procurement surgery can show fractures, but direct examination is often required to determine when the injuries occurred and whether there were multiple episodes of abuse, forensic experts say. — Los Angeles Times, "In the rush to harvest body parts, death investigations have been upended," 13 Oct. 2019 Almena said under direct examination by his attorney, Tony Serra. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Ghost Ship defendant: 50 government officials went inside warehouse before fire," 9 July 2019 While the 49-year-old artist tearfully accepted responsibility for the tragedy during his direct examination on Monday, Almena has struck a combative tone with the prosecutor since cross-examination began on Wednesday morning. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Ghost Ship trial: Prosecutors use defendant’s words against him," 11 July 2019 Tencza testified during direct examination by Assistant State’s Attorney Maria McCarthy. — George Houde, chicagotribune.com, "Man on trial for 2000 drowning death of wife in South Barrington repeatedly denied killing her, state police special agent testifies," 31 July 2019 Almena told jurors under direct examination that there was rarely debauchery at the warehouse. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Ghost Ship trial: Almena spars with prosecutors on witness stand," 10 July 2019 And anecdotes, short biographies and diary entries are no substitute for a direct examination. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "New Study Suggests Leonardo da Vinci Had A.D.H.D.," 5 June 2019 DeGuerin continues direct examination before handing Pike over to prosecutors and Portillo’s lawyers for cross-examination this afternoon. — Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News, "“El Presidente” of Bandidos testifies at his trial," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'direct examination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Direct examination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/direct%20examination. Accessed 25 Nov. 2020.

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