01 / The source
The original question stays attached.
A flag without the question that created it is noise. The useful cue starts with the exact proposition that remains open.
The live moment
A fictional exchange, shown as a product walkthrough
Deposition excerpt · fictional
Q. examiner · 12:4
Doctor, did you review the ER intake notes before forming your causation opinion?
A. witness · 12:7
I reviewed a substantial number of records in the ordinary course of my work as a consultant, and I always make a point of being thorough with what counsel provides before I render an opinion.
The question that stays open
“Doctor, my question was narrower: did you review the ER intake notes?”
01 / See the exchange
Replay complete
The value is the next question, not a later summary.
Demur is built to keep this kind of open objective visible while the witness can still answer. The fictional replay above is not a result on a real record.
A clean question can get lost in a good-sounding answer.
The problem is not that the answer is necessarily wrong. It is that the record moved on without an answer to the proposition the examiner needed.
That is why the live product is deliberately narrow. It is meant to preserve the next useful move — against the examination outline and record — while counsel still controls the room.
02 / The judgment
The attorney keeps the call.
Demur can surface a pattern worth checking. It does not decide truthfulness, admissibility, or the right examination strategy.
03 / The timing
The record is still open.
Later review explains what happened. Live coverage keeps the follow-up available before the witness leaves the chair.