Witness Protection Program

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  • Witness Protection Program

    I'll probably end up going with whatever works best for the story, but just in case anyone can offer any insight:

    If a man has been "hidden" in the same small suburban house for 10 years, going about his new life, would the Feds still be kind of keeping an eye out for his safety? Or do the Feds just sort of let him be?

    Appreciate it.

    Midnite

  • #2
    Re: Witness Protection Program

    Witnesses only receive active protection from the US Marshals during the trial for which they are giving testimony.

    After that, they are required to check in with the program once a year, although they must notify WITSEC if they move (and they are never supposed to return to any city they lived in under their real name). Local law enforcement is also made aware of protected witnesses in their community, because so many of them are criminals themselves. (Although the recidivism rate is fairly low.)

    ETA: if it works for your story, I'm sure there are witnesses who don't check in and just disappear. I don't know what happens to them though - if they are pursued or not. I have a friend in the FBI I could ask.

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    • #3
      Re: Witness Protection Program

      Originally posted by bmcthomas View Post

      ETA: if it works for your story, I'm sure there are witnesses who don't check in and just disappear. I don't know what happens to them though - if they are pursued or not. I have a friend in the FBI I could ask.
      Yeah, that's my question. Not necessarily if they would be pursued, but if the Feds would try to help them out of any trouble they might have inadvertently gotten into.

      In my story, the Marshall in charge has never lost a Witness, and even though his job was technically done, he still feels a responsibility towards the guy(A former mob accountant). I'll probbly just wing it, but please, feel free to ask your friend, so long as gving you the answer won't mean that he has to then kill you. It's not worth quite THAT much.

      Midnite

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      • #4
        Re: Witness Protection Program

        Originally posted by Midnite View Post
        Yeah, that's my question. Not necessarily if they would be pursued, but if the Feds would try to help them out of any trouble they might have inadvertently gotten into.

        In my story, the Marshall in charge has never lost a Witness, and even though his job was technically done, he still feels a responsibility towards the guy(A former mob accountant). I'll probbly just wing it, but please, feel free to ask your friend, so long as gving you the answer won't mean that he has to then kill you. It's not worth quite THAT much.

        Midnite
        Make sure you call them marshals. One "L". Or they will kill you.

        I don't see anything implausible in your scenario - Feds are human beings just like anybody else, they get attached to people. If your missing witness always checked in on time and then one year doesn't...maybe that would be your marshal's impetus to go looking for him.

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        • #5
          Re: Witness Protection Program

          Originally posted by bmcthomas View Post
          Make sure you call them marshals. One "L". Or they will kill you.

          I don't see anything implausible in your scenario - Feds are human beings just like anybody else, they get attached to people. If your missing witness always checked in on time and then one year doesn't...maybe that would be your marshal's impetus to go looking for him.
          Wel. Hel's Bels. Thanks for the tip:-)

          Midnite

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Witness Protection Program

            Originally posted by Midnite View Post
            I'll probably end up going with whatever works best for the story, but just in case anyone can offer any insight:

            If a man has been "hidden" in the same small suburban house for 10 years, going about his new life, would the Feds still be kind of keeping an eye out for his safety? Or do the Feds just sort of let him be?

            Appreciate it.

            Midnite
            Heh, I thought the great cracker-jack lawyer Saul explained it best to Walter in season 4 of Breaking Bad.
            " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Witness Protection Program

              BMC,

              Just wondering, what kind of financial assistance, if any, is given to those who are going into the WPP?

              The person, their immediate family are relocating, and have to find employment, and re-establish their lives etc. Is there a per diem, or is there a one time payment for the whole transition?
              #writinginaStarbucks #re-thinkingmyexistence #notanotherweaklogline #thinkingwhatwouldWilldo

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Witness Protection Program

                Originally posted by Ire View Post
                BMC,

                Just wondering, what kind of financial assistance, if any, is given to those who are going into the WPP?

                The person, their immediate family are relocating, and have to find employment, and re-establish their lives etc. Is there a per diem, or is there a one time payment for the whole transition?
                They get around $60K a year and job training assistance. If they aren't self-supporting after a few years, they get cut off. Some end up on welfare under their new identities some go back to a life of crime.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Witness Protection Program

                  Originally posted by bmcthomas View Post
                  They get around $60K a year and job training assistance. If they aren't self-supporting after a few years, they get cut off. Some end up on welfare under their new identities some go back to a life of crime.
                  Thanks. Very interesting stuff.
                  #writinginaStarbucks #re-thinkingmyexistence #notanotherweaklogline #thinkingwhatwouldWilldo

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Witness Protection Program

                    Originally posted by Ire View Post
                    Thanks. Very interesting stuff.

                    Yeah, it is pretty interesting.

                    Google WITSEC, which I hadn't thought of doing before, and it's one-stop shopping for your research.

                    Midnite

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Witness Protection Program

                      I don't know if you have this, but here's an interesting link from the WGA of individuals and organizations that are willing to talk to writers. There's an actual phone number and contact info for someone from the FBI, Special Agent Alonzo Hilll in the L.A. Field Office.

                      http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=165#psych

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Witness Protection Program

                        While it's not now called "Witness Protection" (if it ever was at the fed level), any opinions as to whether it should (almost) always be called/referenced as "Witness Protection" in a script? At least, in any story other than some really focused story about the program?

                        On my to-write list is a comedy involving said program, and I've been wondering about this.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Witness Protection Program

                          Read this...

                          This guy never had Witness Protection:

                          http://www.ibtimes.com/jimmy-hoffa-f...y-buried-photo
                          ...a good twist in plot.

                          Someone will eventually claim, "Hoffa Plot-Twist".
                          si

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Witness Protection Program

                            Originally posted by Manchester View Post
                            While it's not now called "Witness Protection" (if it ever was at the fed level), any opinions as to whether it should (almost) always be called/referenced as "Witness Protection" in a script? At least, in any story other than some really focused story about the program?

                            On my to-write list is a comedy involving said program, and I've been wondering about this.
                            I'm using "Witness Protection Program" in mine, simply because the audience will immediately know what I'm talking about, but it's just a sub-plot.

                            If your whole "to do" script involves it, then I'll paraphasingly steal Martell's advice and say:

                            "Use the confusion about the name as part of your story. Maybe one character is really realy anally adamant on using the proper term, and emphatically corrects anyone who errs....Every problem IS the solution."

                            Midnite

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Witness Protection Program

                              Originally posted by Midnite View Post
                              I'm using "Witness Protection Program" in mine, simply because the audience will immediately know what I'm talking about, but it's just a sub-plot.

                              If your whole "to do" script involves it, then I'll paraphasingly steal Martell's advice and say:

                              "Use the confusion about the name as part of your story. Maybe one character is really realy anally adamant on using the proper term, and emphatically corrects anyone who errs....Every problem IS the solution."

                              Midnite
                              OK, I'll receive those stolen goods. (It's great when people give attribution; I try to, when my memory allows.) So - Thanks, Bill.

                              Actually, for me, that's actually a great reminder. It's one of the "tricks" I somehow picked up early on (and now I grin whenever I see it in a script or movie). "Did that guy say his name was Ambercrombie?" "No, he said Crombieamber."

                              Thanks for letting me know how you're doing it, and for that purloined reminder.

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