I'm a trial lawyer. There is a sort of ritual that you have to go through to put into evidence sealed written depostion records. You have to on the record identify the exibit, not that it is the seal original, state on the record that you are opening it, marking it for evidence, submitting it to the court reporter, offer it to oposing counsel for examination and then offer it into evidence.

Well, about 10 years ago, before court house security got tight, I was offering a bunch of written deposition evidence. Without thinking about it, I reached into my left suit coat pocket, pulled out my Paul knife with the totary bearing lock (2 2/2" blade), flicked it open, and proceeded to open evidence envelopes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw opposing counsel suppressing laughter, and wonderd what was going on on. It turned out that the several females in the room semi- freaked, but I was so fucussed on what I was doing I didn't notice. I looked at the Judge (female) she shrugged - proceed; I looked at the jury - a big late middle aged mexican guy in the front row raised a thumbs up, and I went about by business. Opposing counsel - a friend, incidentally - offered no objection and we went on.

Later, the baliff told me that when I came out with the Paul knife, a bunch of folks semi-freaked. It must not have mattered much. The jury came back with $3.5 mill for us.