Municipal court defendants do not have the right to cross-examine a witness who is the victim.

• A. True
• B. Sometimes
• C. False
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the defendant’s ability to confront and cross-examine witnesses who testify against them. In criminal prosecutions, the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to cross-examine witnesses, and this protection extends to municipal court proceedings as part of state criminal procedure. A victim who testifies is a witness, and the defense must have the opportunity to cross-examine to challenge the witness’s credibility, memory, and the reliability of their statements. While a court can impose reasonable limits to prevent harassment or protect safety, it cannot deny this right entirely. So the statement is not correct—defendants do have the right to cross-examine a victim-witness.