Justice Navigator
Types of Witnesses
Learn about the different kinds of witnesses you might see in a court case.
An eyewitness is someone who actually saw or heard the event happen. They tell the court what they personally remember seeing or hearing. For example, if someone saw a person breaking a window, they would be an eyewitness.
An expert witness is a person with special skills, knowledge, or experience in a particular field. They give their professional opinion to help the judge and jury understand complicated topics. For example, a doctor could be an expert witness to explain medical evidence, or a mechanic could explain how a car's brakes failed.
A character witness is someone who knows the defendant and can talk about their personality and reputation. They don't talk about the crime itself, but instead tell the court if the defendant is generally an honest, peaceful, or trustworthy person. This is to help the jury get a better idea of who the defendant is as a person.
An alibi witness provides an "alibi" for the defendant. This means they testify that the defendant was with them, and therefore somewhere else, when the crime happened. For example, if a crime happened at 10 PM, an alibi witness might say, "The defendant was at my house watching a movie with me from 9 PM to 11 PM."