Will the judge swear me in when I give testimony in my Alabama debt collection lawsuit?
“Will the judge swear me in when I give testimony in my Alabama debt collection lawsuit?”
So you’ve been sued by a debt collector. You’re facing trial, and you’re wondering if the judge will swear you in at trial if you give a testimony. Yes, the judge will ask you to raise your hand and ask you to swear/affirm that you’re telling the truth.
The reason for being sworn comes from a set of rules called, “rules of evidence.”
Basically, we use these rules to figure out what’s allowed in a debt collection lawsuit.
In addition, we use the rules to find out what can be brought before the judge or jury.
The rules of evidence tell us what kind of documents can come in, and what kind of testimony can come into the courtroom.
This is the foundation of a trial.
No one is allowed to speak in the courtroom unless they have raised their hand and sworn/affirmed that they are going to the tell the truth.
Usually, you’ll be sworn in at the beginning of the case, depending on if you’re in Small Claims, District, or Circuit court.
Sometimes the judge will swear you in when you go up to sit on the stand and give your testimony.
In any case, you will be sworn in somehow. (If you want a detailed overview of being sued all the way to trial in Small Claims or District Court, this video and article may be of interest).
Hope this is helpful to you!
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us.
You can reach us by phone at 1-205-879-2447.
Or, if you prefer, you can fill out a contact form and we will get in touch with you quickly.
We would be glad to help you figure out your best course of action.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
P.S. You can check out our other articles where we talk about whether or not you should show up to your own collection trial, why you should sit in on other collection trials before your own, and how to handle going through security in Alabama courthouses.
Finally, you may want to read the first of our many part series on answers to over 150 questions asked by consumers sued in Alabama debt collection lawsuits.