When a discrimination case is filed against an employer, the credibility of witness testimony can be crucial to the outcome. That’s why affected employees and employers alike need to carefully research potential witnesses and depose those whose testimony may be key to the case. If you’re able to successfully attack the credibility of certain witnesses, then you may change the trajectory of the case, thereby leading to a favorable outcome. But how can you effectively address witness reliability in your workplace discrimination case?
Tips for attacking witness credibility in a workplace discrimination case
There are several ways to address the reliability of a witness’s testimony, which is called impeachment. Here are some strategies you might be able to use in your case:
- Demonstrate that the witness has made prior inconsistent statements that draw the reliability of their account into question.
- Highlight how the witness is motivated to testify against you.
- Point out the witness’s biases and how those taint their testimony.
- Show that the witness has a history of being dishonest.
- Present evidence that’s more credible and that outright contradicts the witness’s statements.
To be able to utilize these strategies, you may have to delve into witnesses’ backgrounds and depose them. These can sound like daunting tasks, but your employment law attorney can assist you in positioning yourself to effectively attack witness credibility.
There are multiple ways to address a workplace discrimination case to which you’re a party. You have to competently and confidently address each and every legal issue you come across. If you haphazardly throw your arguments together, then you run the risk of the losing your case and facing the ramifications that result. With so much on the line, you owe it to yourself to make the most compelling arguments possible.