The justice system involves a lengthy process starting with a police investigation and concluding with a conviction or acquittal of a suspect. After an investigation, police can make an arrest after obtaining the evidence they need, and prosecutors can decide how to proceed with a case. If a prosecutor decides to take a case to trial, then the officers involved in the case can be subpoenaed to testify. Having the skills required to testify in court can be just as important as all other skills an officer has obtained while being in the force. Courtroom skills can assist prosecutors in winning a case, while lack of it can cause a prosecutor to lose the case and help a criminal avoid legal punishment. Three key courtroom skills are dress attire, behavior, and communication. Appearance can make a substantial difference in any circumstance, including in court.
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The first thing people will judge is appearance and how an officer is dressed can display their professional demeanor and provide a successful first impression. “Dress for your court appearance with the same attention to detail you would in going before a promotion board” (VanBrocklin, 2007). Proper attire in court for an officer could mean wearing their work uniform or proper civilian clothes. The clothes themselves should not have any wrinkles and have a clean, professional appearance. Shoes should match, be modest, and clean. After preparing the attire, an officer should be mindful of their behavior in court. Professionalism is key, which includes being unbiased, showing respect to all individuals, and remaining tranquil. Preparing attire and practicing behavior are the first steps in ensuring a successful testimony in court, but communication is another aspect that should be emphasized by police officers. Testifying requires an officer to answer questions and provide information about a case. Being required to testify is not easy for any person, so it is essential to practice communication and speaking skills. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will come up with many tough questions to display the reliability or unreliability of an officer. “Avoid the temptation to get upset or angry. Just answer the questions, and don't worry about anything else the attorney says or does to distract you or upset you” (Roufa, 2017). Although their questions could make an officer nervous, it is important to stay collected, answer the questions without adding unnecessary details, maintain proper posture, speak clearly, and think about the answers beforehand. Jurors rely on the trust of an officer and if they are given reasonable doubt because an officer cannot properly communicate, then a case has a higher chance of being lost. Police have their own way of describing the events and information of a case, but when this information is brought to court, a jury could become confused with what they are being told or what they are listening to. Police must keep in mind when they are testifying in courts, they are speaking to all types of people. Jurors require facts and simplicity, which an officer can provide by keeping their words and phrases simple to avoid uncertainty, but without being too vague. “Jurors often equate their confusion with reasonable doubt” (VanBrocklin, 2015). An officer can display credibility to a juror by avoiding jargon, speaking loud enough for all jury members to hear, making eye contact, and slowing down their responses to allow jurors
The first thing people will judge is appearance and how an officer is dressed can display their professional demeanor and provide a successful first impression. “Dress for your court appearance with the same attention to detail you would in going before a promotion board” (VanBrocklin, 2007). Proper attire in court for an officer could mean wearing their work uniform or proper civilian clothes. The clothes themselves should not have any wrinkles and have a clean, professional appearance. Shoes should match, be modest, and clean. After preparing the attire, an officer should be mindful of their behavior in court. Professionalism is key, which includes being unbiased, showing respect to all individuals, and remaining tranquil. Preparing attire and practicing behavior are the first steps in ensuring a successful testimony in court, but communication is another aspect that should be emphasized by police officers. Testifying requires an officer to answer questions and provide information about a case. Being required to testify is not easy for any person, so it is essential to practice communication and speaking skills. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will come up with many tough questions to display the reliability or unreliability of an officer. “Avoid the temptation to get upset or angry. Just answer the questions, and don't worry about anything else the attorney says or does to distract you or upset you” (Roufa, 2017). Although their questions could make an officer nervous, it is important to stay collected, answer the questions without adding unnecessary details, maintain proper posture, speak clearly, and think about the answers beforehand. Jurors rely on the trust of an officer and if they are given reasonable doubt because an officer cannot properly communicate, then a case has a higher chance of being lost. Police have their own way of describing the events and information of a case, but when this information is brought to court, a jury could become confused with what they are being told or what they are listening to. Police must keep in mind when they are testifying in courts, they are speaking to all types of people. Jurors require facts and simplicity, which an officer can provide by keeping their words and phrases simple to avoid uncertainty, but without being too vague. “Jurors often equate their confusion with reasonable doubt” (VanBrocklin, 2015). An officer can display credibility to a juror by avoiding jargon, speaking loud enough for all jury members to hear, making eye contact, and slowing down their responses to allow jurors