The Hatter is the first witness at the trial of the Knave of Hearts.
Near the end of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the King of Hearts presides over a courtroom where the Knave is accused of stealing the Queen’s tarts. The White Rabbit, acting as herald, calls the Hatter first. The Hatter is still wearing his enormous hat and appears nervous while giving evidence.
His testimony is characteristically muddled. He explains that he had only just begun his tea when the Queen’s trial summons arrived, and he is distracted by the March Hare and the Dormouse. The King repeatedly demands that he control his agitation, turning the scene into another example of Wonderland’s upside-down legal logic.
Readers sometimes confuse the Hatter with the other courtroom figures, especially the Dormouse, who is present at the tea party and later appears in court. The Gryphon and Mock Turtle belong to the preceding seaside conversation, while the Hatter is specifically the first person called to testify. The trial ends before normal evidence or procedure can settle anything.