WWN Guide To Being A Character Witness
SO, your close friend/co-worker/sporting teammate has gone and gotten himself/herself into a spot of bother. The law is involved, and they’re going in front of the judge pretty soon. What they need is someone in their corner, someone that can bear witness to their character, and help assure the jury that they’re not a bad person and probably hasn’t done the crime they’re being accused of. Could that be you?
Here’s a few things you may need to consider before stepping forward:
1) Sure You Can’t Say No
Your pal is obviously in trouble and they’ve asked you to use your status in the community to back up the story that they’re a decent person and could never in a hundred years have done this crime that they’re accused of. What are you going to do? Say no? How would that look? It would look like you didn’t stand up for this person when they needed you the most.
2) Just Take It That They’re Innocent
The trial is on, and there’s some pretty damning evidence against your friend, still, don’t back out now; you know this person, they’ve never raped or murdered or assaulted anyone while you were with them, so what are the chances that they did any of these things when you weren’t there? Highly unlikely, when you think about it in a way that helps you sleep at night. This person is your friend, if they’re guilty, that makes you a bit of a cunt by association, really. Just take it that they’re innocent and move forward accordingly.
3) You’ll Be Grand
Look, you’re pretty high up in society and that’s why people come to folks like you for character references; they know that you’re held in high enough esteem to give them the good reference they need. That’s why high-profile GAA managers get called up to say that people accused of molesting kids are ‘from a good family’, and then everyone moves on like it’s no big deal. So whatever your pal is accused of, they’re almost certain to get off scot free because you like them, and people like you. And if they get found guilty, people will still think they’re innocent because you stood up for them, and the whole thing is a judicial travesty. You literally can’t go wrong, so get in there and say they’d never hurt a fly.