cooperating witness
Turncoat offering testimony
A cooperating witness is someone who provides testimony or evidence to prosecutors in exchange for favorable treatment—typically reduced charges or a lighter sentence.
The term appears frequently in criminal cases involving organized crime, corruption, or conspiracies, where insiders flip on former associates: The mob boss was brought down by a cooperating witness from his own crew.
Also called a cooperator.
- informantOne who provides intelligence
- snitchOne who tells authorities
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- plea dealNegotiated criminal case resolution
- plea agreementNegotiated criminal case settlement
cut a deal · immunity · prosecutor · FBI · grand jury · rat · turncoat · confession · wiretap · evidence · mob · mafia · organized crime · betrayal · protection · handler · federal agent · deposition
cooperate, cooperated, cooperates, cooperation, cooperative, cooperatively, cooperator, co-op, witness