Deception of a Witness

Fighting any false criminal allegation can cost a person potentially their life savings, reputation in the community, loss of friends, family, their career and ultimately their loss of freedom. From the time a criminal charge is laid, the process can last more than two years before a courts verdict is handed down. Witnesses and what they disclose to police can impact the final outcome of any investigation. If the information is considered deceptive or misleading during trial but considered as truthful during the investigative process, it could result in a false charge being laid against a person, leaving their life in potential ruins. It is not a secret that a large number of wrongful convictions result from deceptive witness testimony. The fact is; witnesses play a critical role in the criminal prosecution of any individual. Was the information by the witness corroborated by other evidence? Does the witness have an adverse motive? Was the story the witness provided incomplete or inconsistent? How credible is the witness and what is it base on? Is the information third party or first hand? Has this witness testified or provided information previously in any other criminal case or trial? Has the witness ever been known to have given misleading or false information to police? Is the witness a police informant? These are just a few simple questions that should be asked during the course of any investigation prior to using a witness.