I think I disagree with the claim you’re making about being able to avoid requiring the judge to assume that one player is honest (but I might be confused about what you’re proposing).
I don’t think ‘assuming one player is honest’ and ‘not trusting answers by default’ are in contradiction. if the judge assumes one player is honest, then if they see two different answers they don’t know which one to trust, but if they only see one answer (the debaters agree on an answer/the answer is not challenged by the opposing debater) then they can trust that answer.
Don’t you yourself disagree with requiring the judge to assume that one player is honest? In a recent comment, you discuss how claims should not be trusted by default.
I don’t think ‘assuming one player is honest’ and ‘not trusting answers by default’ are in contradiction. if the judge assumes one player is honest, then if they see two different answers they don’t know which one to trust, but if they only see one answer (the debaters agree on an answer/the answer is not challenged by the opposing debater) then they can trust that answer.