crown witness
Prosecution's key source
A crown witness is someone who testifies for the prosecution in a criminal trial, particularly in Commonwealth legal systems where cases are brought in the name of the Crown (the state).
The term is equivalent to "prosecution witness" in American usage.
A crown witness may be a victim, bystander, or sometimes a co-defendant who agrees to testify against others in exchange for leniency: The crown witness identified the defendant as the shooter.
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- legal immunityProtection from prosecution
- immunity dealProtection from prosecution agreement
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
court testimony · evidence · courtroom · informant · plea bargain · cut a deal · criminal justice · crime · clemency · turn state's evidence · state's evidence · rat out · accomplice · sworn affidavit · whistleblower · burden of proof · grand jury · impeachment
- witnesseseyewitness, testifier, deponent, affiant, attestor
- evidenceevidence, evidence bag, circumstantial evidence, proof, admissible
- Informerssnitch, informer, informant, fink, squealer
crown witnessdefendant
Party facing charges
defense witness · criminal defendant · suspect · perpetrator · character witness
crown, witness, crowns, crowned, crowning, witnesses, witnessed, witnessing