Which pretrial discovery tool involves the oral examination of a witness to produce a written verbatim record?

• A. Direct examination
• B. Deposition
• C. Cross-examination
• D. Relevance

Answer: (B)

Deposition is an out-of-court oral examination of a witness under oath conducted for discovery, with the testimony recorded verbatim in writing as a transcript. This pretrial step lets both sides uncover facts, assess the strength of their case, and use the transcript for later impeachment or cross-examination at trial. Direct examination is the initial questioning by the party who called the witness, typically at trial or sometimes in a deposition but not defined by producing a written record. Cross-examination is the opposing party’s questioning after the witness has testified. Relevance is a standard about whether evidence is admissible, not a discovery procedure.