Term: Being a Witness of a Crime
Last Updated: 2024-04-01
Individuals who have had contact with the justice system and are identified using the PRISM (Prosecutions Information and Scheduling Management) database as having been a witness of a crime. A witness is an individual who is called to court to answer questions about a case. The information a witness gives the court is called a testimony and is used as evidence in a case. There are many different types of witnesses that may be called, for example, an eye-witness expert witness, character witness, or material witness may be called by the court.
The involvement type indicator tracks 3 types of witnesses: a witness, eye-witness, and material witness. An eye-witness is someone who saw something happen first-hand that is relevant to the case or investigation. A material witness is someone who would provide evidence that would be of significant importance to the outcome of the trial. Not all evidence given by witnesses is weighed equally, if the evidence may prove that the accused is innocent or guilty, it may be considered “material.” A witness is a broader category that would include all types of witnesses.
Not all types of witnesses are tracked in the involvement type indicator. Some types of witnesses, such as an expert or character witnesses, will not be tracked because they did not personally witness the crime. These types of witnesses are called to help the court interpret the facts and evidence.
An expert witness is someone who is called to assist the court with the interpretation of evidence. For example, a forensic pathologist may be called to give their opinion on when a victim died. A character witness is called to testify on good or bad character of the defendant. For example, an employer may be called to “vouch” that the accused is a loyal, patient, and hard-working person. These people are called to testify as a “witness” but did not actually witness the crime.