In the following guest Blog post, Thad Torix from 417EVE.com brings up a great point about the deposition. Although neither of us are attorneys, nor do we claim to be… we have both been there.
The title is Room to Fear, but remember what we say in class… train for what you fear. When you do, you will realize training for what we fear reduces our fear of that we train for. Just as important is to do the right thing…because it is the right thing, not just because someone is watching you.
Room to Fear
Thad Torix- Paramedic
DT4EMS Instructor
In our Escaping Violent Encounters class, we train providers to be prepared for the battles of the mind, the street, the media and the courtroom. Today, I’d like to talk about a different room, the deposition room.
As difficult as testifying in a court of law can be, it is manageable. Your attorney will object when the other attorney is badgering you or violates a procedural rule. The judge will be there to chastise an attorney when they get out of line. However, there is a room you will likely visit before the courtroom that does not come with so many safeguards. As the attorney you face prepares his case, he will come up with a strategy to reveal your mistakes, and attack your credibility. His strategy will be played out in questions, hundreds of them. While there are some rules, he will have much more leeway in asking you just about anything he wants. Any question that may have even the slightest relevance to the incident will be allowed. He can, and he will, get personal. The questions you are hoping he will not ask, will almost certainly be asked. Your attorney will be there, but will not be able to object to most of the questions asked. Your every move will be scrutinized from every angle and will be exploited whenever possible by the opposing counsel.
When faced with a violent encounter, your actions will determine if the attorney on your side of the deposition room is the prosecuting attorney, or a defense attorney. How you react to violence will cause the prosecutor to either identify you as the victim, or the defendant.
The goal of our training is to avoid an assault altogether, and to prepare you to react when violence does strike. Train with DT4EMS to make sure you don’t land on the wrong side of the table when you receive a subpoena to the deposition room.
Failing to train, is in fact, training to fail. Train to avoid the peril of this Baltimore Paramedic:
For more about Thad visit 417EVE.com