What best describes a nonresponsive answer?

What best describes a nonresponsive answer?

• A. A response that fails to address the question asked
• B. A response that refuses to answer
• C. A response that fully addresses the question
• D. A response that repeats the question

Answer: (A)

Nonresponsive means the witness does not answer the question that was asked. In a trial, this is a problem because it leaves the issue unresolved and can bring in irrelevant information. The best description is a response that fails to address the question asked, because it signals the examiner isn’t getting the information they sought. It may wander or restate the question, but the key point is that no actual answer to the prompt is provided. Refusing to answer is a separate dynamic, and answering in a way that fully addresses the question or merely repeats the question does not fit the idea of nonresponsive in the same way.

Nonresponsive means the witness does not answer the question that was asked. In a trial, this is a problem because it leaves the issue unresolved and can bring in irrelevant information. The best description is a response that fails to address the question asked, because it signals the examiner isn’t getting the information they sought. It may wander or restate the question, but the key point is that no actual answer to the prompt is provided. Refusing to answer is a separate dynamic, and answering in a way that fully addresses the question or merely repeats the question does not fit the idea of nonresponsive in the same way.