How an Effective Officer Would Testify in Court Essay

Effective officers are responsible for their testifying in court but, at the same time, they often have even the higher responsibility than average citizens because they represent the authority. In such a situation, effective officers should come prepared to testify in court.
First, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that testifying in court is very stressful. Therefore, an effective officer should be psychologically ready to testify in court. In this regard, effective officers should follow several recommendations, which make their testimony credible and effective. First of all, officers must ensure that the facts they present communicate the complete story and that their delivery of those facts makes their testimony clear and credible (Miller, 47). They cannot make errors and convey facts accurately.
As a rule, testimony involves either fact witnesses or experts. Fact witness has personal knowledge, whereas experts offer opinions. In case of effective officers, they perform the function of both fact witnesses and experts because, along with facts, their opinion on the subject matter may be needed.
In the course of testimony, effective officers should maintain the general attitude of confidence to their words. Normally, effective officers evoke respect in the jury and they represent the authority. This is why their testimony often has the high level of credibility (Chambers, 34). Nevertheless, effective officers should pay a lot of attention to their non-verbal language. They should avoid excessive gestures and mimics. They should sit straight and stay calm. They should state straight and plainly, avoiding opinionated judgments and phrases like “I believe…”, “I guess…” and others (Chambers, 35).
Finally, they should be as definite about answers as possible.