The Grand Jury witness is the person who was asked to appear before the Grand Jury, since they may have some information or knowledge about a matter under consideration by the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury inquiries are conducted in secret so only the witness, attorneys, an interpreter when needed, and a court reporter to transcribe the testimony, will be involved in the procedure. The witness will be asked to testify and answer questions concerning the information which is under consideration by the Grand Jury. During an appearance before the Grand Jury, a witness is required to answer all questions asked, except where the privilege against self-incrimination would apply. False answers to any question could be the basis for a prosecution of the witness for perjury. Anything that a Grand Jury witness says that tends to incriminate themself may be used against them by the Grand Jury, or later used against them in court. A witness may consult with an attorney before testifying, and a witness may have an attorney outside the Grand Jury room. Grand Jury witnesses are entitled to the same witness fees and travel expenses as all other witnesses; a witness will receive a $40 witness fee for each day they are required to be in court, or attend a pretrial interview, including travel days. All legitimate travel expenses related to the testimony will be reimbursed by the government.
[Last updated in February of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]