Rule 760 “Direct examination” is the first examination of a witness upon a matter that is not within the scope of a previous examination of the witness.

When a lawyer calls a witness to the stand and asks them questions for the first time, that is called direct examination. The lawyer who called the witness is the one doing the asking during this phase.

The rule also covers a situation where a new topic comes up that was not discussed before. If a lawyer asks a witness about something completely different from what was already covered, that questioning also counts as direct examination, even if the witness has already been on the stand.