Legal Question in Criminal Law in Michigan

Re: star witness

By definition a star witness must be someone credible,--nobody wants to call a liar to the stand. It's not really a legal term.

Re: star witness

I assume you are writing a book. You can have a lying star witness. It happens all the time. A star witness must be credible, but doesn't have to be a nice person. Credibility can be based on a position one holds, a life they have lived, the information they hold. Sammy "The Bull" Gravano was a star witness but hardly a credible life. He was seemingly credible for that trial (US v. Gotti) because of the information he had, and the position in the conspiracy he held.

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Good luck.

Re: star witness

A star witness (not a legal term, but used by the media) is someone who can testify to first hand knowledge of the adverbs at issue, i.e. who, what, where, when, how, and sometimes why. Their testimony can turn the case one way or the other - e.g. irrefutable forensic evidence.

Oftentimes, the crime victim or a co-conspirator (who has immunity)is the star. Credibility, competency, bias, and motive are always issues.

William Morrison