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de·po·si·tion /ˌde-pə-'zi-shən/ n [Late Latin depositio testimony, from Latin, act of depositing, from deponere to put down, deposit]1 a: a statement that is made under oath by a party or witness (as an expert) in response to oral examination or written questions and that is recorded by an authorized officer (as a court reporter); broadly: affidavitb: the certified document recording such a statement compare interrogatory2: the hearing at which a deposition is madeorder that the testimony at a deposition be recorded by other than stenographic means — Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 38(b)◇ A deposition can be used as a method of discovery, to preserve the testimony of a witness who is likely to become unavailable for trial, or for impeachment of testimony at trial. Depositions are distinguished from affidavits by the requirement that notice and an opportunity to cross-examine the deponent must be given to the other party.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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noun
compurgation, declaration under oath, disclosure, documentation, oral evidence, oral statement under oath, proof by a witness, solemn declaration, statement on oath, statement under oath, sworn evidence, testification, testimonial, testimonium, testimony, transcript of testimony, vouching, written declaration under oath
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abdication, affirmation, alluvion, confirmation, disclosure (something disclosed), dismissal (discharge), entry (record), removal, repudiation, statement, testimony
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deposit
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.A form of discovery before trial in which an attorney questions a witness under oath and a court reporter makes a transcript of the testimony, which can then be used as evidence at trial.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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a statement made by a witness under oath and reduced to writing for subsequent use in court proceedings.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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The taking and recording of the testimony of a party or witness under oath before a court reporter, in a place away from the courtroom, before trial. A deposition is part of pretrial discovery. The testimony is recorded by the court reporter, who will prepare a transcript that can be used for pretrial prepration or in trial to contradict or refresh the memory of the witness, or be read into the record if the witness is not available.Category: Accidents & InjuriesCategory: Representing Yourself in CourtCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. In litigation, a proceeding outside the courtroom in which a party or witness gives sworn testimony under oath before a court reporter, who then creates a written document; the written document created as a result of such a proceeding.@ deposition de bene esseThe deposition of a witness who is unlikely to be available to appear at the trial.@ deposition of corporate designeeThe deposition of a person representing a corporation or entity, in which that person is held out to have the most knowledge of the subject at hand. Testimony taken in this manner is binding upon the corporation or entity.@
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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The testimony of a party or witness in a civil or criminal proceeding taken before trial, usually in an attorney's office.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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The testimony of a party or witness in a civil or criminal proceeding taken before trial, usually in an attorney's office.II Testimony of a witness or a party taken under oath outside the courtroom, the transcript of which becomes a part of the court's file.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.the taking and recording of testimony of a witness under oath before a court reporter in a place away from the courtroom before trial. A deposition is part of permitted pre-trial discovery (investigation), set up by an attorney for one of the parties to a lawsuit demanding the sworn testimony of the opposing party (defendant or plaintiff), a witness to an event, or an expert intended to be called at trial by the opposition. If the person requested to testify (deponent) is a party to the lawsuit or someone who works for an involved party, notice of time and place of the deposition can be given to the other side's attorney, but if the witness is an independent third party, a subpena must be served on him/her if he/she is reluctant to testify. The testimony is taken down by the court reporter, who will prepare a transcript if requested and paid for, which assists in trial preparation and can be used in trial either to contradict (impeach) or refresh the memory of the witness, or be read into the record if the witness is not available.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.