History Main / AccuseTheWitness

** In the fourth case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'':
*** PlayedForDrama where you are [[CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption forced]] to accuse [[spoiler:Adrian Andrews]] just to buy time. [[spoiler:This also ends up backfiring spectacularly as not only does she clear her own name during the cross-examination but manages to extend the trial and inadvertently cause Phoenix to break his agreement with a kidnapper.]]

*** PlayedForDrama where you are [[ButThouMust forced]] to accuse [[spoiler:Adrian Andrews]] just to buy time. [[spoiler:This also ends up backfiring spectacularly as not only does she clear her own name during the cross-examination but manages to extend the trial and inadvertently cause Phoenix to break his agreement with a kidnapper.]]

* ''WebAnimation/PhoenixWrightDevilsAttorney'' has Phoenix accuse a witness of being the true culprit in order to prevent Laharl from being convicted on the first day by the Netherworld's new GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty laws. While the witness understands ''why'' he did it, she admits that the accusation still stung a little; Laharl isn't thrilled about it either.

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[[quoteright:350:[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sahwit_6.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:He who Sahwit, done it.]]

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!!Examples

* In ''WebAnimation/TurnaboutStorm'', [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix Wright]], as a last ditch effort to save [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]] from a sure guilty veridict, raises suspicion on [[spoiler:[[ShrinkingViolet Fluttershy]]]] of the murder in order to buy more time to investigate. [[WhatTheHellHero Neither Twilight]] nor [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Phoenix himself]] are amused.
* A similar thing happens in ''WebAnimation/PhoenixWrightDevilsAttorney'' as well, though the witness is capable of looking after herself and understands why Phoenix had to do it; the new laws in the Netherworld of GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty forcing him to do this to extend the trial, lest Laharl would be convicted on the first day. However, she did say it stung a little, and Laharl is none too happy about it either.
* The last witness is the real perpetrator in a number of the four cases in ''[[Franchise/TouhouProject Aya Shameimaru: Touhou Attorney]]'', a fangame based on the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games.

* In ''Film/LegallyBlonde'', the climax of the movie involves Elle Woods getting [[spoiler:the murder victim's daughter to incriminate herself on the stand, by using a clever line of questioning that seems unrelated,]] thereby proving the innocence of Elle's client (the deceased's ex-wife).

* The whole point of the court martial in ''Literature/TheCaineMutiny''. Greenspan unrelentingly cross-examines Queeg this way, eventually calling him as a hostile witness for the defense, accusing him of several illegal and immoral acts in order to portray him as incompetent and unfit for command. The prosecutor eventually realizes that Greenspan has turned the whole thing into a trial where the defense is prosecuting a witness. (And it ''works''.)

* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'': A further subversion in an earlier episode. Kay Howard and Ed Danvers, while going over trial strategy on the Pony Johnson case, argue over the use of one of the victim's sons (and Pony's friend and drug mule) as a witness. Danvers notes that the son was at the scene, knew the victim and provided the bullets used to kill the victim and would thus make a terrible witness as the defense attorney would simply take all of that information and use it to set up the witness as the perfect alternative murderer, gaining them an acquittal.[[note]]This scene is an almost word for word mirror of a scene from the ''Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets'' true crime book that inspired the series. It almost worked for the defense, too, but the perp's key witness, his girlfriend, was so unconvincing that by the end the jury were laughing at her. Guilty.[[/note]]
* ''{{Series/Bones}}'': In "The Verdict in the Story", the defense at Max Brennan's murder trial establishes reasonable doubt by showing that the murder could've been committed by [[spoiler:Temperance, who, working with the defense, is the one who came up with the idea of pulling a Plan B on herself]].

* ''Series/BostonLegal'':
** Alan Shore is defending a woman whose much older husband died in mysterious circumstances, leaving his entire fortune to her. Their housekeeper is on the stand, and giving a fairly damning account of the defendant's behaviour. While she does this, Alan is stretching his arms and limbering up. He thanks her, then spins around and points at her in the most dramatic way possible:
-->'''Alan''': Didn't ''you'' kill him?
** Jeffrey is defending a young man accused of killing a judge he was in a relationship with. He, seemingly spontaneously, accuses the man's mother, currently testifying, of being the actual murderer. It's later revealed that this was the mother's idea to take suspicion off her son. She is then revealed at the end to have actually committed the murder. She and her son were in an incestuous relationship and as a result she got jealous when the son started having an affair with the judge.
* Sort of referenced in ''Series/{{The Defenders|2010}}'', where Nick knows that his client's alibi witness is the real killer, but can't tell anyone. He says that the jury never buys "the other guy did it", even when the other guy ''did'' do it.[[spoiler: And this is enough for the real killer to confess to Nick, knowing he would just lie on the stand if asked. Then Nick pulls out a tape recorder.]]
* One of the last episodes of ''Series/TheCloser'' inverts this: Brenda is called as a witness in a rape trial and is certain the defendant is just the legman for the real rapist, his lawyer Phillip Stroh. Stroh gets her to admit that she thinks the wrong man is on trial, and eventually provokes her into confessing that Major Crimes is investigating him, Stroh, for the crime. Naturally, as Stroh was no doubt hoping, the judge immediately declares a mistrial, and because of weak evidence the D.A. doesn't plan on refiling.
* ''Series/JudgeJohnDeed'': Played with, in that it is revealed that a witness made a deal with the Crown Prosecution Service to get a lesser sentence for another crime. John questions the witness about this, and vows to increase his sentence. The witness then leaps from the box and attacks John, who punches him back.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' sees the player character defend an accused murderer on the planet Manaan. At his trial, you're given the option of asking a Rodian witness if he planted evidence to make your client look guilty. You can then use the argument that your client is being framed to potentially get him acquitted. As it turns out, the Rodian did plant the evidence, but [[spoiler: your client really did do it. It was a case of FramingTheGuiltyParty.]]

*** He later tops himself and his descendant by accusing ''two separate judges'' of murder. And while one was a Japanese judge in England and had no legal authority at the time, the other was the judge for the current trial. Unlike when Phoenix tries it, this works out [[spoiler: as both judges are guilty]], though it takes a BigDamnHeroes courtesy of Herlock Sholmes and [[spoiler: Queen Victoria herself]] to make it stick.
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': In the third case, Makoto accuses [[spoiler: Celestia]], who witnessed the culprit in action, of being the ''real'' culprit, because it had become clear that the murder involved a complicated plan to establish a false narrative time, and [[spoiler: Celestia]] being the only witness to and greatest proponent of said narrative makes them look suspicious once said narrative has been conclusively debunked.
* In the fifth episode of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', [[spoiler: Battler accuses ''himself'' of the crimes to prove that Natsuhi needn't necessarily be the culprit. Of course, everyone knows he's lying, but Erika has to accept the possibility because [[HoistByHisOwnPetard her own rules have eliminated all the evidence exonerating him.]]]]

* [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/?db=comics&id=210#comic This]] ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' cartoon... is not a proper example, as merely this trope in its mundane 'accuse the witness' form would not be [[RuleOfFunny enough of a joke]]. [[spoiler: Accuse the ''judge'' if all else fails]].

* ''WesternAnimation/LittleLulu'': Annie was accused of breaking Eggy's guitar and Lulu managed to prove Tubby, who was testifying against Annie, was the real culprit.

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/GameTheory'': [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in a video about ''VideoGame/AmongUs''. When an imposter is caught after murdering someone, they might accuse the person who caught them of committing the murder. [=MatPat=] argues this is the wrong strategy, as it becomes clear that one of the people making the accusation is a liar. Even if the imposter is successful, the rest of the crew will be suspicious of them in future rounds of the game.

* This was spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' when Bart and Lisa accuse, during Sideshow Bob's trial, [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed obvious Rush Limbaugh stand-in]] Birchibald Barlowe of being the true mastermind behind rigging the mayoral election on the grounds that Bob isn't smart enough to have done it himself. Bob will not stand for this. He immediately produces every piece of detailed evidence proving that he and only he could have effected such a triumph, including monogrammed leather files entitled "Bob's Fraud Log", volumes I-VI.

* ''Series/ThePractice'' employed this as a deliberate tactic enough to be the former TropeNamer.

** In ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'', this strategy blows up in Ryunosuke's face when the witness he [[spoiler:(falsely)]] accuses of murder in his first case [[spoiler:turns up as the ''jury foreman'' in his second and carries a bit of a grudge]].