Which term describes an effort to call into question a witness's testimony so the jury will doubt its credibility?

Which term describes an effort to call into question a witness's testimony so the jury will doubt its credibility?

• A. Impeachment
• B. Corroboration
• C. Admissibility
• D. Objection

Answer: (A)

Impeachment is the act of calling into question a witness’s credibility. In court, jurors rely on how believable a witness seems, so one side may impeach to undermine that credibility. This can be done by highlighting prior inconsistent statements, evidence of bias or motive to lie, imperfect perception or memory, or past dishonesty. The aim is to reduce the weight of the testimony, not to prove the facts of the case itself. This is different from corroboration, which adds independent evidence to support a claim; admissibility, which concerns whether evidence can be admitted at all; and objection, which is a procedural challenge to a question or line of questioning.

Impeachment is the act of calling into question a witness’s credibility. In court, jurors rely on how believable a witness seems, so one side may impeach to undermine that credibility. This can be done by highlighting prior inconsistent statements, evidence of bias or motive to lie, imperfect perception or memory, or past dishonesty. The aim is to reduce the weight of the testimony, not to prove the facts of the case itself. This is different from corroboration, which adds independent evidence to support a claim; admissibility, which concerns whether evidence can be admitted at all; and objection, which is a procedural challenge to a question or line of questioning.