What is the term for asking a witness to guess?

What is the term for asking a witness to guess?

• A. Leading Question
• B. Speculation
• C. Narration
• D. Irrelevant

Answer: (B)

Speculation is the term for asking a witness to guess. In testimony, a witness should rely on what they actually observed or know firsthand. When a question prompts them to guess about facts beyond their direct knowledge, it introduces unfounded opinions that can mislead the trier of fact. The other terms describe different issues: a leading question tries to push the witness toward a particular answer, a narration is simply recounting events, and irrelevance points to evidence that doesn’t relate to the matter at hand.

Speculation is the term for asking a witness to guess. In testimony, a witness should rely on what they actually observed or know firsthand. When a question prompts them to guess about facts beyond their direct knowledge, it introduces unfounded opinions that can mislead the trier of fact. The other terms describe different issues: a leading question tries to push the witness toward a particular answer, a narration is simply recounting events, and irrelevance points to evidence that doesn’t relate to the matter at hand.