Impeachment of Witnesses Because of Inconsistent Statements (Defendant with No Felony Conviction Testifies) is a legal process in which a witness's credibility is challenged based on their changing or inconsistent statements. This type of impeachment is typically used when the defendant has no felony conviction and testifies in court. The purpose of this type of impeachment is to demonstrate to the court that the witness cannot be trusted and thus their testimony should not be relied upon. There are two main types of Impeachment of Witnesses Because of Inconsistent Statements (Defendant with No Felony Conviction Testifies): direct and indirect. Direct impeachment occurs when the witness’s inconsistent statements are created by a contradiction between what they said in court and what they said outside of court. Indirect impeachment occurs when the witness’s inconsistent statements are created by a contradiction between what they said in court and what they said on other occasions. In both cases, the attorney must present evidence to the court that demonstrates the inconsistency and provides an argument as to why the witness should not be trusted. The court will then determine whether the witness will be impeached.