Art. 744 Witness; state; defined

When these rules talk about a "witness," they mean anyone whose testimony matters to a case. This includes people needed to testify in a grand jury investigation or in any part of a criminal case, from the early stages through trial. If what someone knows is relevant and needed, they count as a witness under these rules.

The word "state" has a broader meaning here too. It doesn't just mean one of the 50 states. It also includes U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. This matters because other rules in this section deal with getting witnesses to travel or appear across state lines, so this definition makes clear those rules apply to territories and D.C. as well, not just the states themselves.