A deposition is essentially a question and answer session that takes place somewhere other than a courtroom. During a deposition in a criminal case, the following will occur:
The prosecution and defense have an opportunity to gather facts from the deponent to either bolster their case or undermine the other party’s case
A court reporter transcribes the deposition word-for-word
The court-reporter and deponent signs an affidavit to certify the accuracy of the transcript
The transcript may be used as evidence depending on the circumstances