Help: I've been subpoena'd

[Ronin13]

Spend $500 on an attorney to make $40 testifying

This was my thought... uh the OP is a witness, he's not on trial here. Why get a lawyer? Forgive me for not having ever been a witness in a trail, but one would think there is no chance of any charges or anything bad happening to a witness who did nothing wrong and simply just tells the truth in what they saw...

[kidicarus13]

If you always tell the truth, you have nothing to worry about.

...said every law enforcement officer I've ever spoken with.

one would think there is no chance of any charges or anything bad happening to a witness who did nothing wrong and simply just tells the truth in what they saw...

One would think but I have seen crazier things happen to witnesses on the stand.

[drift_g35]

I was just double checking. I got screwed by our "legal system" with a lawyer so... better safe than sorry. Thanks guys.

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[Great-Kazoo]

This was my thought... uh the OP is a witness, he's not on trial here. Why get a lawyer? Forgive me for not having ever been a witness in a trail, but one would think there is no chance of any charges or anything bad happening to a witness who did nothing wrong and simply just tells the truth in what they saw...

Get on the stand once or twice, and get back with us.

3 words, rhonda fields son. Him doing the right thing cost his life. Us , a few more straws on the camels back.

[cfortune]

I got issued a subpoena once when I was 19.

Guy I worked with lived near me and I'd give him rides to and from work. Well, after dropping him off one night, his roommate was having a party. Turns out some young (16 IIRC) girls were walking through the neighborhood and just walked in the open garage and helped themselves to the kegs in the garage. They ended up getting stopped walking home and spilled the beans about the party they crashed, not mentioning they crashed it. Since the guy I worked with owned the house, he basically had to take the blame for it.

Luckily the case got dropped and I never had to do anything.

[Ronin13]

Get on the stand once or twice, and get back with us.

3 words, rhonda fields son. Him doing the right thing cost his life. Us , a few more straws on the camels back.

I was speaking from a legal standpoint, not murder of witnesses...

[DeusExMachina]

I'm going to assume the DA subpoenaed you, and you should just talk to them about any concerns you have. You can ask them about risks, and if they are real, they should take any steps necessary to help you. And if it interferes with your honeymoon or whatever, they might help you out. You could talk to a lawyer, but that seems very very unnecessary.

[centrarchidae]

You shouldn't have created joinder. Now look at where you are!

Seriously, though...

1) You're due that witness fee whether you hire a lawyer to get it for you or not. The clerk of the court should be able to tell you how to get that.

2) Lawyers from both sides may want to talk to you beforehand. It's your choice and you have every right to tell both of them to go and get forked. I'll generally talk to the side that subpoenaed me, and will refuse to talk to the other side.

3) If it's criminal, the DA's office should have someone called a "victim-witness coordinator." That person specializes in helping lay witnesses who aren't totally familiar with the process.

4) I won't say that witness retaliation never happens, but it's damn rare. I've been to court more than a few times, including violent gang-related crimes, and never had an issue. Come to think of it, Bad Check Rhonda's son and a few DV cases (and in those, only the suspect retaliating against the victim) are the only ones I've ever heard of.

[james_bond_007]

Reminds me of an old joke:

What does Subpoena mean ?

Sub - Latin prefix for something "under or below"
Poena - kind of like "penis"

Therefore Subpoena obviously means "When you get a Subpoena, they've got you by your balls".