Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. dives into an often overlooked but critical aspect of witness testimony: behavior. He explains that body language and facial expression are the first things jurors process when evaluating a witness on video, and they play a major role in shaping perceptions of credibility, likability, and trustworthiness. Bill urges attorneys to coach their witnesses to maintain “job interview” demeanor — sitting upright, hands in front, and wearing a neutral, professional facial expression throughout the course of the entire deposition.
Bill emphasizes the importance of behavioral feedback during prep, not just strategic or content-based feedback. Emotional responses, especially under pressure, tend to surface first in posture and facial expression. Signs of stress, fatigue, or cognitive overload like slumping, shifting, or tense expressions can signal vulnerability to opposing counsel and trigger even more aggressive questioning. Bill warns that without proper training, these behavioral “tells” can escalate into full-blown fight, flight, or freeze responses from the witness, which can derail testimony, and which jurors can misinterpret as dishonesty or defensiveness.
To combat this, Bill recommends incorporating systematic desensitization into witness training, especially when preparing for tough topics or bad facts. Witnesses should be repeatedly exposed to negative stimuli and learn to maintain their composure through mock questioning. He also reminds attorneys that breaks should be scheduled every 45 minutes to avoid fatigue-induced behavioral breakdowns. Professional demeanor for witnesses must be practiced and reinforced just as much as content because how a witness looks and behaves can make or break their credibility.
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