IN · rules
Ind. Trial Rule 32
Use of depositions in court proceedings
Effective January 1, 2021
(A) Use of depositions.
At the trial or upon the hearing of a motion or an interlocutory proceeding, any part or all of a
deposition, so far as admissible under the Rules of Evidence applied as though the witness
were then present and testifying, may be used against any party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition, by or against any party who had reasonable notice
thereof or by any party in whose favor it was given in accordance with any one [1] of the following provisions:
(1) Any deposition may be used by any party for the purpose of contradicting or impeaching the testimony of deponent as a witness.
(2) The deposition of a party, or an agent or person authorized by a party to testify or fur-
nish such evidence or of anyone who at the time of taking the deposition was an officer,
director, or managing agent, executive officer or a person designated under Rule 30(B)(6)
or 31(A) to testify on behalf of an organization, including a governmental organization, or
partnership which is a party may be used by an adverse party for any purpose, regardless
of the presence or absence of the person deposed.
(3) The deposition of a witness, whether or not a party, may be used by any party for any
purpose if the court finds:
(a) that the witness is dead; or
(b) that the witness is outside the state, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the party offering the deposition; or
(c) that the witness is unable to attend or testify because of age, sickness, infirmity, or
imprisonment; or
(d) that the party offering the deposition has been unable to procure the attendance of
the witness by subpoena; or
(e) upon application and notice, that such exceptional circumstances exist as to make it
desirable, in the interest of justice and with due regard to the importance of presenting
the testimony of witnesses orally in open court, to allow the deposition to be used; or
(f) upon agreement of the parties.
(4) If only part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party, an adverse party may
require him to introduce any other part which ought in context to be considered with the
part introduced, and any party may introduce any other parts.
Substitution of parties pursuant to Rule 25 does not affect the right to use depositions previously taken; and, when an action in any court of the United States or of any state has been
dismissed and another action involving the same subject-matter is afterward brought
between the same parties or their representatives or successors in interest, all depositions
lawfully taken and duly filed in the former action may be used in the latter as if originally
taken therefor.
(B) Objections to admissibility.
Subject to the provisions of Rule 28(B) and subdivision (D)(3) of this rule, objection may be
made at the trial or hearing to receiving in evidence any depositions or part thereof for any
reason which would require the exclusion of the evidence if the witness were then present
and testifying.
(C) Effect of taking or using depositions.
A party does not make a person his own witness for any purpose by taking his deposition.
The introduction in evidence of the deposition or any part thereof for any purpose other than
that of contradicting or impeaching the deponent makes the deponent the witness of the
party introducing the deposition, but this shall not apply to the use by an adverse party of a
deposition as described in subdivision (A)(2) of this rule. At the trial or hearing any party may
rebut any relevant evidence contained in a deposition whether introduced by him or by any
other party.
(D) Effect of errors and irregularities in depositions.
(1) As to notice. All errors and irregularities in the notice for taking a deposition are waived
unless written objection is promptly served upon the party giving the notice.
(2) As to disqualification of officer. Objection to taking a deposition because of disqualification of the officer before whom it is to be taken is waived unless made before the taking of the deposition begins or as soon thereafter as the disqualification becomes known or
could be discovered with reasonable diligence.
(3) As to taking of deposition.
(a) Objections to the competency of a witness or to the competency, relevancy, or mater-
iality of testimony are not waived by failure to make them before or during the taking of
the deposition, unless the ground of the objection is one which might have been obviated
or removed if presented at that time.
(b) Errors and irregularities occurring at the oral examination in the manner of taking the
deposition, in the form of the questions or answers, in the oath or affirmation, or in the
conduct of parties and errors of any kind which might be obviated, removed, or cured if
promptly presented, are waived unless reasonable objection thereto is made at the taking
of the deposition.
(c) Objections to the form of written questions submitted under Rule 31 are waived unless
served in writing upon the party propounding them within the time allowed for serving
the succeeding cross or other questions and within five [5] days after service of the last
questions authorized.
(4) As to completion and return of deposition. Errors and irregularities in the manner in which
the testimony is transcribed or the deposition is prepared, signed, certified, sealed, indorsed,
transmitted, filed, or otherwise dealt with by the officer under Rules 30 and 31 are waived
unless a motion to suppress the deposition or some part thereof is made with reasonable
promptness after such defect is, or with due diligence might have been, ascertained.
Provenance
- Source
- rules.incourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-02
- Edition
- supplied-in-01-2026-08-01
- Content hash
c16d2283d08c01ccd1f31ed4dbab9aeb5a9dd0b41c0c0decf68d2b78a4cfbc45
The link goes to the issuing authority’s own document — the one we read to produce this record. Where a source publishes whole titles rather than sections, your browser may need a moment to jump to the provision.
Unofficial copy of government-published law, reproduced from official sources with full provenance. Not an official publication; verify against official sources before relying on it in a filing. Records in the 'guidance' corpus, and only that corpus, are sub-regulatory (interpretive guidelines, survey procedures) and are not binding law. Validity bounds follow each jurisdiction's declared temporalBasis.