(a) The examination of a witness shall proceed in the following phases: direct examination, cross-examination, redirect examination, recross-examination, and continuing thereafter by redirect and recross-examination.

(b) Unless for good cause the court otherwise directs, each phase of the examination of a witness must be concluded before the succeeding phase begins.

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Terms Used In California Evidence Code 772

  • Action: includes a civil action and a criminal action. See California Evidence Code 105
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.

(c) Subject to subdivision (d), a party may, in the discretion of the court, interrupt his cross-examination, redirect examination, or recross-examination of a witness, in order to examine the witness upon a matter not within the scope of a previous examination of the witness.

(d) If the witness is the defendant in a criminal action, the witness may not, without his consent, be examined under direct examination by another party.

(Enacted by Stats. 1965, Ch. 299.)