Deposition Translators, Interpreted Foreign Language Depositions and Attorney Shenanigans during Depositions and Court Proceedings Involving Foreign Language Speakers
In "Lawyer's Guide to Cross-Cultural Depositions" we talked about foreign language deposition translators, courtroom interpreters, and the fact that cultural differences can affect nonverbal communication. In American culture, for instance, looking someone straight in the eye is a statement of open and honest communication, while in other cultures it is a sign of disrespect. We also blogged about occasional poor behavior towards non-English-speaking witnesses in interpreted depositions. We have all heard about outrageous stories involving the lengths attorneys will go to in prompting or signaling deponent answers during a deposition. For instance, there is the sudden coughing fit that one suffers every time the deponent should answer, "I cannot recall". Likewise, there is "The Bob", that slight shake of the head while looking over documents - careful to avoid eye contact - signaling that the answer is "no".
