zealous witness
A zealous witness is someone whose testimony is clearly biased in favor of the party which called them to testify. A zealous witness may show partiality for one side when they express unexpected enthusiasm to provide testimony that they believe would benefit their favored party during a trial. For example, a zealous witness makes statements advocating for one side rather than providing objective testimony by only stating facts or answering the questions they are explicitly asked. This testimony goes beyond what is required of a neutral and impartial witness and can damage the credibility of the trial as a whole.
[Last reviewed in September of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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