legal question - called as witness for DUI

[id10t]

This is a first for me.... after all of the various drunks thru my fence over the years, I'm being called by the Prosecutors office as a witness for the most recent one's DUI w/ Property Damage trial.

Only experience with legal system is showing up for jury duty.

What should I expect?

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by id10t

This is a first for me.... after all of the various drunks thru my fence over the years, I'm being called by the Prosecutors office as a witness for the most recent one's DUI w/ Property Damage trial.

Only experience with legal system is showing up for jury duty.

What should I expect?

If I had to guess, probably an hour or two sitting around the courthouse only to be told that they reached a settlement.


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[ramonesfreak]

what do you mean by “called”?

i wouldn’t typically subpoena any witness without speaking to them first to make sure they are not hostile to my position. my clients don’t like that

[GH85Carrera]

My one experience was nothing remotely like the Perry mason shows I watched as a kid. I was hired by an attorney for a train company to photograph a train collision with a 18 wheel semi loaded with raw cotton. I shot photos from every angle of the intersection from the ground. The really cool part was the train's engineer uncoupled the engine one mile back. Just the engine pulled up, I climbed up next to the engineer. We backed up one mile and the intersection was not in view. We pulled up to 1/2 a mile and 1/4 mile and finally right to the intersection. I shot photos from all the distances. Many months after the accident there were still cotton balls everywhere on the ground.

At the trial, forget Perry Mason, think of "To Kill a Mockingbird" as the trial was held at the county courthouse in Haneyville, AL. Lots of seersucker, and a ceiling fan turning slowly. No air conditioning.

I testified I shot the photos in evidence, and that I was 6 feet tall, and eye view was a few inches below that. I charged the client for the photo shoot, and expenses and time for testifying.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

what do you mean by “called”?

i wouldn’t typically subpoena any witness without speaking to them first to make sure they are not hostile to my position. my clients don’t like that

Sorry, my only time at UF Law School was looking for a bathroom and a vending machine...

It is in fact a subpoena, but to show up in the prosecution's office (not a trial... at least, that is how I read it).


Crappy cell phone pic

[ramonesfreak]

ok well do show up. they are going to ask you what you witnessed in order to determine if they need or want your testimony at any future trial, should there be one. just go, speak honestly and leave.

[greglepore]

Subpeonas are generated automatically-most likely the guy will plead before the date. If you're actually called, it'll just be to substantiate the property damage.

[id10t]

Thanks all very much.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by id10t

What should I expect?

A lot of wasted time sitting around outside a court room, for one thing.
Being a witness is fun. If the other guy's lawyer is a real jerk he'll do everything he can to rattle you and piss you off. Don't be like me. Try to stay cool. I got yelled at/reprimanded by a judge once.

The other guy's lawyer seemed to be trying to discredit me by association with my brother. Neither of us had anything to do with the case at hand. I was just a witness and my brother had absolutely nothing to do with it - didn't even know there was a trial going on, so the questions he asked were totally uncalled for.
It went something like this.

"Your brother is gay isn't he."
"I've never had a discussion with him about that aspect of his life."
"But you think he's gay."
"I would never make such a wild speculation about someone."
"You've known him all your life and you don't know if he's gay?"

By then I was getting pissed off.

"Look. If you're looking for a date you're going to have to ask him yourself."

The gavel came down BAMMM!!
Judge - "The witness is directed to answer the questions. Counselor, move on from this subject."

[steveo12345]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

"Look. If you're looking for a date you're going to have to ask him yourself."

LOL. That's the funniest thing I read all day!

[KFC911]

LOL .... judges ... and their sense of humor

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by id10t

Sorry, my only time at UF Law School was looking for a bathroom and a vending machine...

It is in fact a subpoena, but to show up in the prosecution's office (not a trial... at least, that is how I read it).


Crappy cell phone pic

Who is Clovis Watson Jr. ?

[GH85Carrera]

The son of Clovis Watson of course.

[herr_oberst]

The father of Clovis Watson III

[id10t]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Who is Clovis Watson Jr. ?

Our local sheriff

Due to the way alachua co. is , we're fairly blue. He did some cheatin' during primaries to oust prior sheriff (a cousin to Tom Petty), and has a history of the same type of cheatin' for other elections to political positions.

[rfuerst911sc]

My question was a tongue in cheek reference to the " who names their kid Clovis " thread 😁 .