How to put this delicately?

Question

I may, in the near future, be the primary witness for a grand jury trial of a s*x abuse case. I'll probably have to miss some class, and I'll need to explain this to my professors. I don't want to tell them the whole story, but I also don't want to just say "I have to go to court" because they might think that I have done something wrong.

Is there some sort of legal terminology I should use, or a polite way to put it, or should I just say that I'm a witness in a criminal case?

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

You can let them know you have been subpoenaed to testify. They do not need to know any specifics of the case.

Answer 2

tell them that you have been summoned to a grand jury hearing and  you can not descuss the case

Answer 3

You should receive a subpoenea and you can show your professor that.  All you should tell him is you are a witness in a criminal case and you cannot discuss it further until the trial is over.  He should not question you further.

Answer 4

Of course this is. Professors are smart. They took Criminal Justice class more than likely. They know what it means to be a witness in a case. Just let your professor know you were a witness to a case and are under subpoena. You don't even need to tell them it's a criminal case. You could just say it's a civil case or not even go into specifics.

Also, depending on if you are a witness for the prosecution or defense, the more you are cooperative and work with the Attorney on the case, the more likely they'll be able to put you on stand by. That way, when they need you, they can call you...that way you're not sitting around outside of a court room. Most attorneys use "Subpoena Riders" which are a document you sign specifying a good number to reach you at while you're on stand by. This helps you avoid having to sit around waiting to testify.

Testifying is easy. Just speak about what you remember, be brief, and if you don't remember something or aren't sure, let them know that when you are on the stand. Testifying is a cake walk. The only enemy you have is your nerves. And if an attorney attacks you on the stand, remain calm. When they attack you, they are TRYING to get you emotional. The key thing to remember is not take any of it personal.  

Answer 5

Say you've been subpoenaed to court as a witness and need the notes and such ahead of time.  Tell them you can't discuss the case.  Legally, you can't discuss it anyway, until it's done and over with, otherwise they could throw the case out, if you are on the side of the prosecution.

Answer 6

Just sat your a witness in a criminal case and need to testify in court.

Anyways, you're really not allowed to discuss it with anyone that is not involved with the case anyways.

Answer 7

Just say you are a witness in a court case.  The professor doesn't need to know the details.

You need to find a way to make up the work.

Answer 8

You will be subpoenaed for court when the time comes.  I would just show that to your professor.  As far as telling your professor about the case; probably not a good idea.  You really aren't supposed to talk about it with anyone anyway.  If your professor needs more than just the subpeona, I know that the District Attorney's office here can give a note; kind of like a doctors note.  You might want to see if the DA's office has the same thing where you are at.