Law enforcement witnesses are different than many other witnesses that plaintiffs’ lawyers depose. Understanding the training, technologies, policies, procedures, and cultures that are common across departments is critical. This presentation explores how plaintiffs’ lawyers can use that information to get helpful answers from law enforcement officer deponents.
Participants will learn what discovery to conduct before deposing these witnesses, how to approach depositions in a way that is best calculated towards being productive, and how to pivot and still get helpful (though different) answers if that technique is not working.
Darcy Covert spent four years as a public defender before joining Stritmatter Law. In that role, she regularly interviewed and cross-examined law enforcement officers. Her deep familiarity with law enforcement practices is both professional and personal—her partner served as a police officer for over a decade.