Which party traditionally conducts direct examination?

• A. The party who called the witness conducts direct examination using open-ended questions to elicit testimony.
• B. The opposing party conducts direct examination using leading questions.
• C. The judge conducts direct examination.
• D. The witness conducts direct examination unassisted.

Answer: (A)

Direct examination is conducted by the party who called the witness, and the questions are generally open-ended to let the witness tell their story in their own words. This approach helps establish what happened and the witness’s perspective without steering the answer. Open-ended questions like “What did you observe?” or “Can you describe what happened next?” encourage full, narrative testimony and support credibility.

Leading questions—those that suggest a particular answer—are typically avoided on direct examination because they can bias the witness’s account. That’s why the opposing party conducts cross-examination, where leading questions are common and used to test accuracy and reliability.

The judge does not conduct direct examination, and the witness does not examine themselves. The party who called the witness guides the direct examination to elicit the needed facts and context for their case.