Deposition defined as?

• A. The process of giving sworn evidence
• B. A written question to a party
• C. A request to produce documents
• D. A court order to appear

Answer: (A)

Deposition is the process of giving sworn evidence outside of court, typically during discovery. In a deposition, a witness answers questions under oath, and the testimony is recorded by a court reporter for later use at trial or for impeachment if needed. This distinguishes it from other discovery tools: written interrogatories are just written questions to a party, requests to produce documents seek specific records, and a court order to appear (often a subpoena) compels attendance. The key feature defining a deposition is that the testimony is sworn and recorded, usually in advance of trial.