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Adult Protective Services Library
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Sections

  • Welcome to the Adult Protective Services Library
  • Miscellaneous
    • Investigating Suspected Elder Maltreatment
  • Introduction to Law & Policy
    • Meriweather Scott Referral
    • John Brown Referral
    • Jane Philbright Referral
    • Interviewing Tips
    • Referrals on Special Populations
  • APS Forms & System
    • APS Computer System Reference Guide
    • Proper Documentation: A Key Topic in Training Programs for Elder Abuse Workers
  • Normal Aging
    • Ageism and the Elderly
    • Exercise for Healthy Aging
  • Investigative Process
    • Technical Assistance Brief Investigation Protocols
  • Substantiation Decision
    • Determining Findings
    • Adult Protective Services Clients Confirmed for Self-Neglect: Characteristics and Service Use
    • A Good Man is Hard to Find
  • Service Planning
    • Service Planning with APS Clients
    • Older Adults Affected by Polyvictimization: A Review of Early Research
  • Urgent Response
    • APS Urgent Response Guidelines
    • Responding to Emergencies
    • Planning and Preparing for Investigations
  • Worker Safety
    • Safety Grid
    • Planning for Safety
  • Pre-Academy Field Tasks
    • Customer Service in Adult Protective Services
COURTROOM TRICKSRESPONSES
1. Rapid firing of questions.  Take time to answer, be deliberate, ask to have question repeated.  
2. Attorney becomes condescending/benevolent (shake confidence).  Give a firm decisive answer.  
3. Attorney friendly, courteous and polite (catch off guard-false security).  Stay alert, can’t let attorney discredit you.  
4. Belligerent, badgering, staring in the face, shouting (intimidate – loss of confidence to make you angry, loose sense of logic and calmness).  Stay calm and give your attorney time to make objection.  
5. Mispronouncing your name (distract you) you make inadvertent error in your answer.  Ignore mispronunciation and concentrate on question  
6. Suggestive, leading question (confuse you – provide answer they want).  Concentrate on fact and disregard suggestions.  
7. Demanding yes or no answer (prevent pertinent and mitigating details).  Explain answer to the question… if stopped, pause until court instructs you to answer in your own words.  
8. Reversing your words (confuse) lack of confidence in you.  Listen carefully when attorney repeats something already said and correct error if made.  
9. Repetitious questions (impeach you).  Listen carefully and state you have answered that question.  
10. Conflicting answers – he brings that to second witness (to bring doubt).  If you don’t have exact knowledge use “approximately”.  
11. Stares at you as though more to come (provoke you to give more than necessary).  Stare back and wait for next question.

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