In the same way as the late-night show host who was tied to his notes, I see lawyers in the courtroom tied to theirs. They have not heard a single answer of the witness. They have not heard any of the unspoken words of the witness. They have not been listening with either their own, two exterior ears and surely not with their third ear. As a consequence, the lawyer bumbles along and the examination usually goes nowhere. The witness is left in control, because the lawyer is controlled by his notes—filling the room with the sound of his voice that, as it were, signifies nothing.
