---
title: What Is the Role of a Character Witness in Criminal Cases?
slug: role-of-character-witness
article_type: Help Article
keywords: character witness, criminal cases
url: https://www.nlada.org/defender-standards/performance-guidelines/black-letter
published_date: 2025-10-27T00:00:00
---

A character witness provides testimony regarding a defendant’s reputation, trustworthiness, or moral conduct. Such witness testimony may influence sentencing decisions or sway a jury in close cases by highlighting favorable traits.nlada