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Racine Personal Injury lawyers
Voice on the Stand – What is a Witness?
It is not very often that civil suits must actually enter into a trial. When it does occur, it is crucial that your case not only be supported by concrete evidence demonstrating that the defendant was indeed at fault, but also by the condemning testimonies of witnesses.
There are three categories of witness that can be called to testify at trial. Each one can play a role in a prosecution, with one of the three being more appropriate for some types of lawsuits than others.
- Character Witness
- Eyewitness
- Expert Witness
Character witnesses can be used in both criminal and civil court. They can be called in to show the good character of an accused criminal, with the purpose of demonstrating that, because of their nature, they are less likely to have committed the crime. A character witness is often called in after a criminal has been convicted in order to aid in the judge’s decision for a sentence. When it comes to civil law, these witnesses are used to give evidence of the good or bad character of a party if it is of importance to the case. Such is the case is defamation suits where the witness could attest to or negate the alleged slander or libel.
An eyewitness, as the name would imply, is an individual who witnessed an event occur that is relevant to the case. Their evidence is based solely on the facts of what they saw and they can be used by both the prosecution and defense.
An expert witness is an individual who by virtue of training, education, or experience is believed to have knowledge of a particular subject beyond that of the average person. Their specialized opinion about a fact or piece of evidence can be legally relied upon as an expert opinion. Expert witnesses are typically called in for their opinion on the severity of an injury, loss or failure of a machine, degree of insanity, cost of care, etc. A judge may also call them in to explain the full action or scope of a fact or act that is being judged.
To guarantee the best caliber of witness supports your civil suit,
contact the Racine Personal Injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier S.C. at 1-800-682-3434. We will review your case and discuss your legal options.