Which type of question suggests an answer to the witness?

A leading question is one that suggests its own answer or contains the information the examiner is attempting to elicit from the witness. It often guides the witness toward a specific response, minimizing the witness's own ability to provide an independent answer. This type of question is typically used during cross-examinations when an attorney wants to reinforce a particular point, and it can be phrased to require only a brief response, often a simple "yes" or "no."

For example, a question like, "You saw the defendant at the scene of the crime, didn't you?" is leading because it nudges the witness toward confirming the assertion rather than allowing them to recount their account freely. This characteristic makes leading questions invaluable in strategic questioning, as they can control the flow of testimony and emphasize certain facts beneficial to the attorney's case.

In contrast, narrative questions encourage the witness to tell a story or provide a detailed account without suggesting an answer, argumentative questions challenge the witness rather than elicit information, and compound questions ask about multiple issues at once, which can confuse the testimony and lead to ambiguity.