Perjury is the act of knowingly making false statements under oath, which is considered a serious criminal offense. When this occurs, the individual committing this act is partaking in corruption of the legal process. Being convicted of perjury can bring serious consequences including jail time, probation or fines.
The legal system is based upon a foundation of trust, honesty and credibility. In a court setting, it is vital that the person under oath tell the truth so that the right judgment can be decided upon. When this does not happen, it is a crime against the justice system and can cause wrong the judgments to be made.
Knowingly misleading a court with false statements is a serious crime but some don’t realize just how serious it can be. Federal law (18 USC § 1621), for example, states that anyone found guilty of the crime will be fined or imprisoned for up to five years. Other consequences could be to completely lose your livelihood or professional license depending on the type of job that you are involved in, such as law enforcement, public service or legal profession.
The most common place that perjury is committed is during family law proceedings. Many people may lie about income or other types of events that affect child support and alimony. This is also one of the most difficult to prove.
Proving someone has committed perjury can be extremely tough and may require a legal attorney to help you through this process. It can often be hard to prove someone lied and often comes down to a matter of perception.
Perjury is a tough crime that can be even tougher to prove but is often used as tool to ensure that witnesses provide accurate testimony.