Does the person making a complaint have to testify in court?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Does the person making a complaint have to testify in court?
The person who wrote the complaint has also moved from the state where complaint was made. Doesn’t the charges have to be dropped due to him moving out of state?
Asked on February 18, 2016 under Criminal Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
The person making the complaint is a witness--generally, a vital witness, but still only a witness; not the person controlling the case. The case can continue without the comlaining witness IF the prosecutor feels he has enough evidence without the complainant's testimony, though as a practical matter, lesser charges will often be dismissed on thw theory that if the complainant doesn't care enough to show, it's nit worth continuing.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.