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A client of the Salt Lake City law firm of Johnson & Hatch collects silly questions asked by lawyers. The column-writing team of Paul Rolly and Joann Jacobsen-Wells reproduced some of them in the Salt Lake Tribune. The following are some of these questions, actually asked by lawyers during the course of trials:

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"Was that the same nose you broke as a child?"

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"Now, doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, in most cases he just passes quietly away and doesn't know anything about it until the next morning?"

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Q: "What happened then?"
A: "He told me, he says, 'I have to kill you because you can identify me!'"
Q: "Did he kill you?"

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"The youngest son, the 20-year old, how old is he?"

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"Were you alone or by yourself?"

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"Was it you or your younger brother that was killed in the war?"

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Q: "I show you exhibit 3 and ask if you recognize that picture."
A: "That's me."
Q: "Were you present when that picture was taken?"

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Q: "Do you know how pregnant you are now?"
A: "I'll be three months November 8."
Q: "So the date of conception was August 8?"
A: "Yes."
Q: "What were you doing at that time?"

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Q: "Mrs. Jones, do you believe you are emotionally stable?"
A: "I used to be."
Q: "How many times have you committed suicide?"

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Q: "She had three children, right?"
A: "Yes."
Q: "How many were boys?"
A: "None."
Q: "Were there any girls?"

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Q: "You say the stairs went down to the basement?"
A: "Yes."
Q: "And these stairs, did they go up also?"

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And once in a while there's a witness who just doesn't choose to be in a forgiving mood, and the result is something like this documented exchange:

Q: "Do you recall approximately the time you examined the body of Mr. Edington at the Rose Chapel?"
A: "It was in the evening. The autopsy started about 8:30 P.M."
Q: "And Mr. Edington was dead at that time, is that correct?"
A: "No, you stupid bastard, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy!"

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