Truth is lost by excessive altercation.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Excessive dispute and prolonged argument obscure rather than reveal the truth; courts and advocates should seek clarity and directness rather than exhaustive contention.

Where this applies

• Two lawyers spend three days arguing over the meaning of a single comma in a contract, and by the end neither the judge nor the jury can remember what the actual dispute was about.
• A witness is cross-examined so aggressively and for so long that her original clear testimony becomes muddled — the excessive questioning has obscured the facts rather than clarifying them.
• Opposing parties file so many motions and counter-motions over a procedural issue that the court loses sight of the underlying merits of the case.