As a videographer, I've had the opportunity to witness some truly strange and unbelievable events. From almost filming a Michael Jackson deposition to being caught in the middle of a fist fight between an attorney and a witness who happened to be a monk, I've seen it all. These are the top 10 most bizarre moments I've encountered on the job.
1- Almost filming a Michael Jackson deposition.
I was asked by an agency to do a deposition on a certain day, but they didn't provide any information about the case, including the names of the witness or the location. The deposition was scheduled to start at noon, but I didn't receive the address until 10am. When I arrived at the hotel where the deposition was supposed to take place, the court reporter and I discussed the strange circumstances of the case. At noon, no one had arrived. Around 12:15, our client showed up and said the deposition had been moved to a different location and was now scheduled for 3:00pm. We packed up and headed to the new location, where we set up again. When 3:00pm rolled around, our client informed us that the deposition had been pushed back to 4:00pm. At 4:00pm, our client came in and regretfully told us that the deposition had been canceled because the witness, who turned out to be Michael Jackson, feared that the location was not secure enough. I was disappointed that the deposition was canceled, as I would have loved to have videotaped it.
2- A Witness in Disguise: The Strange Case of the Video Deposition with a Ski Mask-Wearing Testifier.
It was a normal day, and we were all ready to start the deposition. "Let's go on the record," the client said, and I began my standard opening statement, "Here begins the video deposition of..." But as I looked at my monitor, my heart sank. Something was wrong - there was a man wearing a ski mask on the screen. I was completely taken aback and had no idea how to react. My mind was racing as I tried to keep reading my statement, but I couldn't focus with the strange sight in front of me. The other people in the room seemed just as confused as I was. Suddenly, the witness's attorney interrupted me and asked me to stop. My client immediately demanded that we stay on the record. The attorney then physically removed the witness from the room. The recording continued, and after a while, the witness returned - this time without the ski mask. But instead of facing the camera, he sat with his back to us, facing the wall. The entire deposition was bizarre and unsettling, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
3- The Ultimate Showdown: An Attorney and a Monk Go Head-to-Head
It was the year 2000, and everything seemed normal at the deposition. The witness was a pleasant, older man who introduced himself as a monk. He greeted everyone in the room, including the court reporter and videographer, which was rare as we are often ignored. However, as the deposition progressed and the accusations against the monk started to surface, the atmosphere in the room changed. He was accused of sexual harassment, embezzlement, and fraud, among other things. Just two hours into the deposition, the tension in the room was palpable. The pleasantries had given way to yelling across the table, and at one point, the monk stood up and tried to punch the attorney. I was caught in the middle as the camera fell sideways, and other people rushed in to break up the fight. The only thing I remember after that was my client yelling, "Did you get that on video?"
4- Conversing with a Killer: The Strange Deposition of a Woman Who Murdered Her Husband and Spoke to an Imaginary Person
I conducted a deposition for a young woman who was being sued in a civil case after being acquitted of killing her elderly husband. During the deposition, we played audio of her 911 call which was made on the night of the incident. The call had a cold and non-urgent tone, which raised some eyebrows among those present. Midway through the deposition, the woman began speaking to an imaginary character, which was quite unexpected and unusual. This is when the client, who had previously not seen the need for it, realized the importance of having the deposition video recorded, as it captured this unexpected behavior. This deposition was crucial in the civil case as it helped the client to understand the mindset and behavior of the defendant.
5- The Deposition of My Own Attorney that I Excluded Myself from Videotaping
Another deposition day, and I was sitting in the conference room waiting for the participants to arrive. Suddenly, my attorney walked in, which confused both of us. It turned out that he was the witness for the deposition. I quickly explained to my client that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to be the videographer, as there was a conflict of interest since my attorney was also the witness. Plus, I was worried he would charge me for the deposition - after all, I had never sat with him without getting a bill at the end. So, we ended up calling in another videographer to cover for me. It was just another strange day in the world of depositions.
6-The Unfortunate Day an Attorney Got Fired by the Witness on the Record.
Being terminated by a client during a video deposition is a unique and challenging situation. Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of conducting a deposition with a particularly difficult witness. Prior to the deposition, the witness and his attorney had a heated argument over their differing views on the COVID-19 pandemic, with the witness believing it to be a conspiracy and the attorney deeply offended as her mother was suffering from COVID-19 in the hospital.
During the deposition, the witness was extremely hostile towards everyone in the room, particularly the questioning attorney. He launched into a rant, refusing to allow any questions to be asked. When his attorney attempted to intervene and explain the importance of answering the questions, the witness turned his hostility towards her. The situation continued to escalate until the witness terminated his own attorney on the record. It was clear that the deposition would not be able to continue and had to be stopped.
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