See, e.g., the Epic v Google trial right now, where all of the 'surprise' testimony by the witnesses is actually stuff that both parties learned in discovery months ago. In real life, there are no such surprises at trial because both sides already know what the other side knows it all comes out in discovery. ? This seems like a Hollywood-based vision of how trials work. You don't know what the lawyer might know and surprise you with. Witnesses that have been ordered to appear in court don't get to decide not to take the stand.

Refused to take the stand under oath and sat outside the courtroom Sorry but I stopped believing the story when you said 'I had signed confessions' since that's not something two cops would ever just do to avoid getting cross examined when they could just plead the 5th without consequence, especially given that signed confessions would cause serious consequences. (On a side note, while I managed to force that prosecutor to admit to perjury and he was investigated for it, after that incident the state bar regulator seems to have given up - I got a letter from them regarding another prosecutor stating that they no longer investigate misconduct by prosecutors, only by defense attorneys) One of the prosecutors made a come-back as a state legislator though, so a win there for him. Two of them did resign, which protected their pensions/benefits. They didn't want to get cross-examined as it could potentially open up a larger can of worms - if you're hiding a lot of dirty laundry you don't know what questions will come up under examination you don't know what the lawyer might know and surprise you with.

As an alternative they suggested just signing a confession so they could leave.

Due to litigation over the matters they were pulled into court, but refused to take the stand under oath and sat outside the courtroom. I also had signed confessions from two of the officers. I've got over a decade of courtroom experience litigating cases, I gave them citations to the statutes down to the paragraph with supporting documentation for all claims. You don't have enough weight to make them interested. There's no conspiracy, it's just that one single person going to the papers with a story usually isn't that compelling.

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