Direct examination

Direct examination is the questioning of a witness by the party who called him to the stand. In direct examination, one is generally prohibited from asking leading questions. This prevents a lawyer from feeding answers to his own favorable witness. An exception to this rule is when one has called a witness, but it is either understood, or soon becomes plain that the witness is hostile to the questioner's side of the controversy at issue. The lawyer may then ask the court to declare to declare the person he has called to the stand a hostile witness. If the court does so, he may thereafter ply the witness with leading questions on direct examination.