--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never, never, never on cross-examination…" description: "\"Never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby food. Do it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/harper-lee-451_answers_never-never-never-on-cross-examination-a_2684265.jpg" --- # Never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a… ![“Never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby food. Do it, and you'll often get an answer you don't want.” quote by Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/harper-lee-451_answers_never-never-never-on-cross-examination-a_2684265.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/harper-lee-451_answers_never-never-never-on-cross-examination-a_2684265.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/harper-lee-451_answers_never-never-never-on-cross-examination-a_2684265.jpg) > “Never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby food. Do it, and you'll often get an answer you don't want.” [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Never ask a witness a question whose answer you don't already know; it risks unwanted revelations. **In simple terms:** Avoid asking unknown answers. Key Takeaway Know your facts first. Themes law strategy communication Mood cautious strategic Type legal advice When to use this quote - courtroom - legal prep - interrogation - debate Key Concepts cross‑examination risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you prepare for unknowns? - What safeguards can you use? A Different Perspective Unexpected answers can undermine your case. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Ask Witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-witness-2606333/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Cross Examination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-examination-655351/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Examination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examination/) [Examination Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examination-ask-2606335/) [Know Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-answer-259613/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [My baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-baby/) [Questions and answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-and-answers/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witness/) [Witness Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witness-question-2606334/) ## Related quotes > [“Never, never, never, on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/never-never-never-on-cross-examination-ask-a-witness-a-question-you-3/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Never, never, never, on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/never-never-never-on-cross-examination-ask-a-witness-a-question-you/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Sometimes the DA asked a witness a question just to make the jury think about the topic. 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You can just as easily—more easily— use it to formulate answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/quit-using-your-creative-power-to-formulate-questions-you-can-just-as/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Surely only boring people went in for conversations consisting of questions and answers. The art of true conversation consisted in the play of minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ved-mehta/surely-only-boring-people-went-in-for-conversations-consisting-of/) [Ved Mehta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ved-mehta/) > [“Wise are those who keep asking questions when everyone around them think they know the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-bartell/wise-are-those-who-keep-asking-questions-when-everyone-around-them/) [J. Bartell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-bartell/) > [A dialogue is very important. 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