Lil Wayne's Deposition: An All-Timer for Any Attorney
Who said depositions were no fun? As rapper Lil Wayne's viral deposition videos show us, the typically stoic question-and-answer format can sometimes turn into a rollicking game of cat and mouse.
If you haven't seen the depo videos yet, clear your schedule (at least for a few minutes) because you're in for a treat.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., is suing producer Quincy Jones III over an allegedly "scandalous portrayal" of the rapper in a documentary, gossip website TMZ reports.
Enter Jones' lawyer, Peter Ross.
In Lil Wayne's deposition videos, the 30-year-old rapper goes up against Ross, a litigator with the firm Browne George Ross in Los Angeles, often repeating the lawyer's questions before spewing a smart-alecky retort.
For example, in this clip obtained by TMZ, Lil Wayne has some choice words with regard to Ross' first question:
When Ross questions Lil Wayne about a few incidents in his criminal past, the rapper seems to lose much of his memory. At one point, when he gives an answer before Ross completes his question, Lil Wayne sarcastically claims to be "psychic":
But lawyers may be most interested in Lil Wayne's alleged threats to Peter Ross, as seen in this exchange:
From the deposition videos, it's clear Lil Wayne is guilty of having a "case of the attitude," as police in a recent federal appeals case put it.
Lawyers facing deposition witnesses with similar attitudes may want to strategize in advance on how to handle hostile witnesses, especially if the witness is a celebrity with a rebellious reputation.
As for Peter Ross, the lawyer declined to comment about the deposition, as Lil Wayne's trial is set to begin Oct. 9. "We are, however, looking forward to presenting our claims to a jury," Ross told Complex magazine.
Related Resources:
- Depo Diaries: How Lil Wayne Introduced Litigator Pete Ross to Rap World (ABA Journal)
- How to Use an iPad to Recreate a Scene at Trial, Deposition (FindLaw's Technologist)
- NY Lawyer Fined $10,000 for Abusive Behavior at Deposition (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- 3 Things You Should Never Do at a Deposition (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
