Q: Can a witness write a statement an go to court an give t totally different statement
A: Yes, they can, and it happens quite a lot more often that people realize. Usually, whenever a witness does something like that, they are putting their credibility at risk.
Melissa L Gardner-Ardoin agrees with this answer
A: Yes, "anyone can lie". However, if there is a prior written statement which is either signed by the person or can otherwise be proven to be in that person's handwriting, that written statement can be used in court to "impeach" the credibility of the person's court testimony---i.e., show to the judge and/or jury that the person's testimony is not to be believed. In certain cases, a person may be held in contempt if it is proven that he/she gave testimony in court (under oath) which is totally and clearly contradicted by a prior written statement by that person.
Melissa L Gardner-Ardoin agrees with this answer
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