This study assessed the impact of some complex question forms frequently used by attorneys who examine and cross-examine witnesses in the courtroom. Fifteen males and 15 females from each of four student populations (kindergarten, fourth grade, ninth grade, and college) viewed a videotaped incident and then responded to questions about the incident. Half the questions were asked in "lawyerese" (i.e., using complex question forms); the remaining half asked for the same information using simply phrased question forms of the same length. Lawyerese confused children, adolescents, and young adults alike. Questions that included multiple parts with mutually exclusive responses were the most difficult to answer; those that included negatives, double negatives, or difficult vocabulary also posed significant problems. Results suggest that complex question forms impede truth-seeking and should be prohibited in court.Lawyers are students of language by profession, and they exercise their power in court by manipulating the thoughts and opinions of others through the skillful use of language (Philbrick, cited in O'Barr, 1982). As one forensic linguist noted, "The most powerful weapon an attorney has in the war of words he wages with the witness is manipulation of question form, and it is a tool frequently referred to in articles and manuals on deposition and trial practice" (Walker, 1987, p. 64).