Taking The Stand

There is no greater impact to the Crown's case than the defendant clearly, concisely and credibly refuting the evidence against them. If the officer said one thing and you can honestly say the opposite, your testimony will be heavily weighted and create a very positive impression.

For example:

"I was not parked in that location on that day."

"I did put money in the meter and I had time left on it."

"The officer described a blue Civic hatchback. I don't own or drive one."

If you cannot do this, what point is there to testifying? Deciding to testify or not is an extremely important decision.

You must never lie on the stand. Many people not wishing to lie under oath will use "weasel" words to bend the truth. You can tell when someone does this. They are not open and frank. They offer convoluted explanations to direct questions.

Unless you can testify without hesitation or reservation, you will only end up convicting yourself under the prosecutor's cross-examination. Your testimony will be worthless.

Do not take testifying lightly. Unless you can help your case, stick to the arguments that have been explained to you without taking the stand.