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Evidence
Part of the law series
Types of evidence
Testimony
Documentary
Real (physical)
Digital
Exculpatory
Inculpatory
Demonstrative
Eyewitness identification
Genetic (DNA)
Lies
Consciousness of guilt
Relevance
Burden of proof
Laying a foundation
Materiality
Public policy exclusions
Spoliation
Character
Habit
Similar fact
Authentication
Chain of custody
Judicial notice
Best evidence rule
Self-authenticating document
Ancient document
Hague Evidence Convention
Witnesses
Competence
Privilege
Direct examination
Cross-examination
Redirect
Impeachment
Proffer agreement
Recorded recollection
Expert witness
Dead Man's Statute
Hearsay and exceptions
in English law
in United States law
Confessions
Business records
Excited utterance
Dying declaration
Party admission
Ancient document
Declaration against interest
Present sense impression
Res gestae
Learned treatise
Implied assertion
Other common law areas
Contract
Tort
Property
Wills, trusts and estates
Criminal law
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In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know.
A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jury, before an administrative tribunal, before a deposition officer, or in a variety of other legal proceedings. A subpoena is a legal document that commands a person to appear at a proceeding. It is used to compel the testimony of a witness in a trial. Usually, it can be issued by a judge or by the lawyer representing the plaintiff or the defendant in a civil trial or by the prosecutor or the defense attorney in a criminal proceeding, or by a government agency. In many jurisdictions, it is compulsory to comply with the subpoena and either take an oath or solemnly affirm to testify truthfully under penalty of perjury.
Although informally a witness includes whoever perceived the event, in law, a witness is different from an informant. A confidential informant is someone who claimed to have witnessed an event or have hearsay information, but whose identity is being withheld from at least one party (typically the criminal defendant). The information from the confidential informant may have been used by a police officer or other official acting as a hearsay witness to obtain a search warrant.
In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or...
Silent Witness is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations...
A hostile witness, also known as an adverse witness or an unfavorable witness, is a witness at trial whose testimony on direct examination is either openly...
Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients...
Witness tampering is the act of attempting to improperly influence, alter or prevent the testimony of witnesses within criminal or civil proceedings....
Witness for the Prosecution may refer to: "The Witness for the Prosecution", a 1925 short story by Agatha Christie The Witness for the Prosecution and...
supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence...
The United States Federal Witness Protection Program (WPP), also known as the Witness Security Program or WITSEC, is a witness protection program codified...
material witness is a person with information alleged to be material concerning a criminal proceeding. The authority to detain material witnesses dates to...
Bearing Witness may refer to: Bearing Witness (2005 film), documentary by Barbara Kopple Bearing Witness (2023 film), compilation of footage produced by...
Witness immunity from prosecution occurs when a prosecutor grants immunity to a witness in exchange for testimony or production of other evidence. In...
An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue...
A witness statement is a signed document recording the evidence of a witness. A definition used in England and Wales is "a written statement signed by...
The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney...
Silent Witness is a British television drama. The following is a list of all episodes that have been broadcast across all television series, since the...
Sky Witness is a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel primarily broadcasts shows from the United...
Witness Tree is a tree that was present during a grand historical or cultural event of America. The trees got their name from being able to "witness"...
The Only Witness (Bulgarian: Edinstveniyat svidetel) is a 1990 Bulgarian drama film directed by Mikhail Pandoursky. It was entered into the main competition...
"The Witness for the Prosecution" is a short story and play by British author Agatha Christie. The story was initially published as "Traitor's Hands"...
Innocent Witness (Korean: 증인; Hanja: 證人; RR: Jeungin) is a 2019 South Korean legal drama film directed by Lee Han, starring Jung Woo-sung and Kim Hyang-gi...
Hiroshima Witness, also released as Voice of Hibakusha, is a documentary film featuring 100 interviews of people who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima...
Clouds of Witness is a 1926 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, the second in her series featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. In the United States the novel was...
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