What is a deposition?
A deposition is a legal proceeding provided by out Florida Rules of Civil Procedure under which any party or witness may be asked questions under oath. The witness' sworn testimony is taken down by a court reporter. Sometimes the deposition may be videotaped. The deposition may then be used at trial basically one of two ways. First, the deposition may be read or the videotape played in lieu of the witnesses' appearance. Secondly, the deposition may be used to "impeach" the witness—to show that he or she said something differently under oath than what they're presently testifying.