protected witness

Someone who is part of the Federal Witness Protection Program, a program run by the U.S. Marshals Service to protect witnesses or whistleblowers as a result of their testimonies in criminal court cases. A protected witness is placed under 24-hour protection during the court cases in which they are informants. Upon completion of testifying in court, the witness and their family have the option to be provided with new identities and relocated. After the relocation, the family is provided with monetary help for a period of time and assistance in finding jobs.