Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Regulating Health Care
Lecture:Branches of Government and the Configuration of the U.S. Judicial System
Slide content:Pre-trial Litigation: Discovery Purpose is to fully develop the facts Depositions are one kind of discovery Sworn testimony recorded by court reporter Parties Witnesses Expert witnesses 19
Slide notes:In a civil lawsuit, the parties are entitled to receive information from each other so that they can develop their case to present to the neutral fact-finder. This process is known as discovery. One kind of discovery is a deposition . The parties and other witnesses are sworn in and questioned by one or more of the attorneys involved in the case. A deposition can be far-reaching and include topics that will not ultimately be admissible at trial. Usually, each party is deposed by the opposing attorney. In most cases, many other people know something about the facts of the case. The court can require additional witnesses to appear for questioning. A subpoena is a document issued by a court that orders a person to appear for testimony at a deposition or trial. Another category of people who are often deposed are expert witnesses. These people are not actual witnesses to the events of the case. Instead, they are hired by one of the parties because they have knowledge or expertise that might help the fact-finder understand complicated matters. 19