What happens when someone is named a "Hostile Witness"? TIA O/T-I stopped reading this forum for awhile, was getting way too upset and preoccupied with it (though Caylee is always in my heart and not forgotten, along with Sandra Cantu and Nevaeh). My anger towards KC and the A's was just not doing me any good. It was a nice surprise to come back yesterday to see the SA and Judge Strickland getting tough with the A's. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but the A's are finally being called on the carpet for their antics, maybe this'll ratchet their arrogance down just a bit.
Hostile witness:
When a party calls their own witnesses, usually a witness will be open and answer fully, truthfully, and non-evasively. The party usually does not have to "lead" their own witness down the garden path. But once a witness becomes stubborn on the witness stand, evasive to questions asked them before (like in previous sworn depositions), etc., the party can ask leave of the court to treat their own witness as a "hostile" witness. Once approved, the party can then start to ask their own witness leading questions like, "Isn't it true, Mr. Anthony, that you told the FBI that Casey stole money from Caylee's piggy bank?"
It could start like this (EXAMPLE):
SA: Was Casey a good mother?
George: She was the Mother-of-the Year.
SA: George, did Casey ever steal from her daughter?
George: What do you mean, Caylee did not have money.
SA: George, did Casey steal from Caylee's piggy bank or bank account?
George: I don't know. I did not see her do it.
SA asks leave of court to take George as a hostile witness.
Strickland: Granted.
SA: Mr. Anthony, isn't it true that you told the FBI on (insert date) Casey stole money from Caylee's piggy bank?
and so on and so on and so on and so on...
But, on cross-examination (of the other party's witnesses) you can ask leading questions.