Testimony of a Paid Informant (also known as a paid witness) is a statement made by an informant who has been hired as a witness in a legal case. Paid informants are typically used to provide information about criminal activity or to testify against a suspect in a trial. The informant's testimony may be given under oath, and the informant can be cross-examined by the defense counsel. There are two types of testimony of a paid informant: hearsay and direct. Hearsay testimony involves the informant providing information that was not directly experienced, such as what was told by someone else or what was heard in conversation. Direct testimony involves the informant relating facts or events that were personally observed. Testimony of a paid informant is often used to corroborate or refute other evidence in a case, and is typically subject to greater scrutiny than other forms of evidence.