Redirect and Recross Examination
Learn when and how to use redirect examination to rehabilitate your witness after cross, and when recross is worth pursuing.
Redirect: Repairing the Damage
Redirect examination happens after cross-examination and gives the direct attorney one more chance to question their own witness. The purpose is narrow and specific: to address issues raised during cross-examination. You cannot use redirect to introduce new topics or rehash your entire direct. You are limited to the scope of cross.
The most common reasons to conduct redirect are to rehabilitate a witness after impeachment, to clarify testimony that was taken out of context during cross, and to explain admissions that the opposing attorney extracted. If the opposing attorney got your witness to admit something damaging, redirect is your opportunity to provide context that softens or explains that admission.
Not every cross-examination requires redirect. If the opposing attorney did not score significant points during cross, redirect can actually hurt you by giving the witness another chance to make mistakes or by drawing attention to issues the judge may not have focused on. The decision to redirect should be made in real time during the trial, based on what actually happened during cross-examination.
