Adverse Witness (Noun)
Meaning
A witness whose relationship to the opposing party is such that his or her testimony may be prejudiced against the opposing party; "a hostile witness can be asked leading questions and cross-examined".
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The defense attorney treated the CEO as an adverse witness, aggressively questioning her about the company's financial dealings.
- The judge allowed the prosecutor to treat the defendant's business partner as an adverse witness due to their contentious history.
- The lawyer warned the jury that the testimony of the adverse witness should be viewed with skepticism due to her clear bias against the defendant.
- The court ruled that the witness's close relationship to the plaintiff made her an adverse witness, subject to more rigorous cross-examination.
- The adverse witness's testimony was discounted by the jury due to her obvious animosity towards the defendant.