Hostile 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 prosecution was forced to treat their key witness as hostile due to her sudden and unexplained change in testimony that favored the defense.
- In many cases, witnesses can become hostile during cross-examination if they feel threatened or attacked by opposing counsel.
- The judge decided that the witness was hostile and granted permission for leading questions to be asked during cross-examination.
- After a falling out with the defendant, the former business partner was called as a hostile witness by the prosecution.
- Due to his history with the defendant, the witness was treated as hostile and aggressively cross-examined by the defense attorney.