If you’re going to be called as a defense witness in an upcoming trial you can depend on the defending attorney to help you be ready. You’ll want to be as prepared as possible since you may be helping to prove the innocence of a close friend or relative.
Meeting with a witness to discuss his testimony is an accepted part of the pretrial process. Both the defense and the prosecution are allowed to do so in order to organize their cases and make sure that things will move along smoothly in court.
What kind of witness will you be? An “eye witness” is someone who was at the scene of the incident and can tell the court what took place. If you testify as an eye witness you will be sworn in and asked explicit questions about what you saw. The defense attorney will have explained that you stick to the facts and not offer your personal opinions.
An “expert witness” is often a professional in his field and can offer testimony as an authority on the subject at hand. You will be asked to answer questions regarding your qualifications to testify in this capacity, i.e. experience and educational background. Once you have been established as an expert you will be allowed to offer your professional opinions pertaining to the case.
A “character witness” is often called by the defense to testify to the good character and reputation of his defendant. If you are to be a character witness the attorney will go over exactly what he wants the court or the jury to hear from you so that you will know ahead of time what questions to expect. He will advise you that anything you say during his direct examination can be brought into question by the prosecuting attorney when he cross examines you.
An experienced defense attorney will see to it that all of his witnesses are well prepared for their appearance in court. If you follow his advice and you’re sure of your facts you should make an excellent defense witness.
Parker Lawyers are skilled and experienced to represent clients in every aspect of the legal practice. Call the offices @ 303-841-9525.
