earwitness

An earwitness is someone who gives testimony about what they heard, rather than saw, during an event. This type of testimony is often used when a victim or witness cannot see the suspect, such as in cases involving phone calls (see also: blackmail). 

An earwitness may be asked to describe a suspect’s voice or identify it from a lineup. Courts have recognized the risk of misidentification with earwitness testimony, noting it can be as unreliable as eyewitness identification. See: Due Process Violation in Voice Identification Procedures: Palmer v. Peyton.

[Last reviewed in July of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team] 

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