They are rarely if ever competent witnesses with first-hand knowledge of facts. Further, the various documents they work from are for the most part declarations, not affidavits, as signatures are rarely if ever verified by notary publics or the number of witnesses required by common law standards. Consequently, third parties who submit documents are technically prospective witnesses, they have not submitted testimony as such. Somewhat the same disclosure is required for most criminal investigations where the government is the alleged victim due to someone failing to comply with or doing something prohibited by statute other than what are classified as common law crimes. As researchers and advocates increasingly master due process essentials and continue to unravel proper application of law, administrative and judicial remedies will become considerably more reliable and government encroachment in general can be pushed back.
Procedure is particularly important.
She spent approximately six months in California for basic and other training. While she was in California, she had pay deposited directly to her account in the Midwestern city. In the meantime, she had a husband of the finer sort who papered the town with forged checks on her private account. When she returned to the base in her hometown, she was confronted with criminal charges. Merchants turned several thousands in bounced checks over to the district attorney for collection, then the district attorney filed charges against the young lady in spite of the district attorney, the bank and the merchants knowing she wasn't even in the state when the checks were written.