What does discovery refer to in legal terms?

• A. A pretrial conference between judge and attorneys.
• B. Pretrial exchange of evidence between prosecution and defense.
• C. The process of jury selection.
• D. The cross-examination of witnesses.

Answer: (B)

Discovery is the pretrial phase where the defense and prosecution exchange information and evidence that are relevant to the case. This includes documents, records, reports, witness lists, and expert findings, and can involve depositions, written interrogatories, requests for admissions, and requests for production of material. The aim is to prevent surprise at trial and to allow each side to prepare properly by knowing what evidence the other side plans to rely on.

That’s why the description of pretrial exchange of evidence best fits discovery. The other activities occur at different stages: a pretrial conference is about scheduling and case management, jury selection happens before trial in voir dire, and cross-examination of witnesses occurs during the trial itself.