Which statement best describes a leading question?

Which statement best describes a leading question?

• A. They request a long narrative
• B. They suggest the answer the examiner wants
• C. They require a yes-only response
• D. They are never used on cross-examination

Answer: (B)

Leading questions are questions that push the witness toward a particular answer by implying or suggesting what that answer should be. They limit the witness’s ability to describe events in their own words and steer the testimony toward a specific point. For example, asking, “You saw the defendant at the scene, didn’t you?” hints that the witness did see the defendant and should answer yes. This is different from open-ended questions like, “What did you see at the scene?” which allow the witness to explain in their own terms. In practice, leading questions are typically not used on direct examination because you want the witness to tell their story freely. They’re commonly used on cross-examination to control the narrative and elicit admissions. So the statement that best describes a leading question is that it suggests the answer the examiner wants. The other options miss the defining feature: they focus on length, yes/no format, or a rule about cross-examination that isn’t accurate.

Leading questions are questions that push the witness toward a particular answer by implying or suggesting what that answer should be. They limit the witness’s ability to describe events in their own words and steer the testimony toward a specific point. For example, asking, “You saw the defendant at the scene, didn’t you?” hints that the witness did see the defendant and should answer yes. This is different from open-ended questions like, “What did you see at the scene?” which allow the witness to explain in their own terms.

In practice, leading questions are typically not used on direct examination because you want the witness to tell their story freely. They’re commonly used on cross-examination to control the narrative and elicit admissions.

So the statement that best describes a leading question is that it suggests the answer the examiner wants. The other options miss the defining feature: they focus on length, yes/no format, or a rule about cross-examination that isn’t accurate.