Monday, February 9, 2009

Keeping with the themes of my last two posts,

dealing with maturity and depositions (and maturity during depositions), tonight I'd like to recount another moment from yet another deposition that I sat through today.

Scene: Three lawyers, a court reporter, and a witness, sitting around a conference table in a law office in a high-rise building downtown. The person being deposed has been named as an expert witness for one of the parties. Joining the deposition via conference call from his office in another state is the expert witness for one of the other parties, who will be called to rebut the expert being deposed. Said other expert is connected to those of us in the room through the telephone speaker sitting in the middle of the conference table.

Action:

Q: Have you been asked [by Party A] to come up with any opinions for trial with respect to [Topic 1]?

Speakerphone: huhhh, huhhh, huhhh ...

A: Yes, I have.

Speakerphone: huhhh, huhhh, huhhh ...

Q: And are you prepared to answer questions regarding your opinions here today?

Speakerphone: huhhh, huhhh, huhhh ...

A: Yes, I am.

Speakerphone: huhhh, huhhh, huhhh ...

Q: Ok, and ... ok, just a second. Uh, Larry? Um, we can hear some heavy breathing coming through the speaker. Um, maybe you didn't realize.

Speakerphone: Oh. Sorry.

Me [in my head]: Yeah, dude, really ... if you're going to get someone to blow you while you're sitting in on a conference call, at least remember to put the phone on mute.

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