Discredit
Defined in 6 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893), Black's (1891)
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
To deprive one of credit or confidence. The impeachment of a witness, as distinguished from a contradiction of his testimony. See "Impeachment."
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
To deprive one of credit or confidence. In general, a party may discredit a witness called by the opposite party, who testifies against him, by proving that his character is such as not to entitle him to credit or confidence, or any other fact which shows he is not entitled to belief. It is clearly settled, also, that the party voluntarily calling a witness cannot afterwards impeach his character for truth and veracity; 3 B. & C. 746; Chism v. State, 70 Miss. 742, 12 South. 852; Erwin v. State, 32 Tex. Cr. R. 519, 24 S. W. 904. If a party call a witness who turns out unfavorable, he may call another to prove the same point; 2 Campb. 556: 4 B. & A. 193; Meyer Bros. Drug Co. v. Mc Mahan, 50 Mo. App. 18. The rule that a party cannot discredit his own witness is not violated by proving facts contrary to the testimony of such witness; Chester v. Wilhelm, 111 N. C. 314, 16 S. E. 229. Where the evidence of a witness is a surprise to the party calling him, the trial judge, in the exercise of discretion, may permit him to be cross-examined by such party to show that his previous statements and con- 21 L. R. A. 418, 40 Am. St. Rep. 3. Proof cf contradictory statements by one's own witness, voluntarily called and not a party, is in general not admissible, although the party calling him may have been surprised by them; but he may show that the facts were not as stated, although these may tend incidentally to discredit the witness; Hickory v. U. S., 151 U. S. 303, 14 Sup. Ct. 334, 38 L. Ed. 170.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
A Law Dictionary and Glossary
George C. Kinney · 1893
To deprive of credibility; to destroy or impair credibility.
A Dictionary of Law
Henry Campbell Black · 1891
To destroy or impair the credibility of a person; to impeach; to lessen the degree of credif to be accorded to a witness or document, as by impugning the veracily of the one or the genuineness of the other; to disparage or weaken the reliance upon the testimony of a witness, or upon decumentary evidence, by any means whatover.