Perjury is an offense that someone commits in a courtroom through lying about another person or events, and the individual engaging in such activity often faces a reveal when another person is able to prove he or she did commit perjury. With these crimes, the affected person should tell the lawyer that could help reveal the truth.
When a person faces either a claim in civil court or a case in criminal proceedings, he or she may suffer through lies that another individual tells the courts about him or her. In these situations, the person affected may need to tell his or her lawyer about the perjury. At this point, the lawyer may need to prove that the testimony was false or full of lies. Then, the judge or jury may need to disregard what the individual spoke if the lawyer is able to prove that it was not the truth. Otherwise, the courtroom will take the information as true and use it to determine the outcome of the case or claim.
Consequences of Lies Spoken in Court
When the person is under oath for either a criminal or civil proceeding, he or she may perjure himself or herself when speaking lies in the courtroom. The seriousness of these proceedings is proven when the truth comes out. The judge may issue certain penalties against the person committing perjury. This could include fines, time in jail, prosecution that could lead to prison and other punishments depending on the circumstances. This is important because of how harmful the perjury could become. If the lies lead to a conviction against someone, this is a violation of justice. When used in civil court, the plaintiff could lose the necessary compensation he or she should receive.
The Harms of Perjury
Generally, perjury is a serious crime. However, when the person lying sways the judge or jury into a decision against the person affected by the lies, these crimes increase in significance. Using the intent to do harm or to mislead the courts, the person committing the act could harm the subject by incarceration, severe fines and further penalties depending on the type of case. If the courts find the individual responsible for a civil matter, he or she will face paying out compensation for the injuries to another party. It is possible to permanently alter the life of the victim through the lies of the individual testifying in the courtroom.
Misleading the Courts
The person committing perjury could do so through spoken or written words. He or she usually must have the intention of committing the crime through known false details or information. If he or she is not completely aware of the full circumstances, this may not constitute perjury. However, the intent to harm someone else through the words or statements on paper may lead to consequences when the courts discover the actions taken. The affected individual should inform someone of authority, so an investigation may uncover the truth. This is often the only way that the judge or jury will know that the person under oath lied.
The Statement in the Court
The person affected by the lies must understand if the statement given is under oath or merely an observation explained to the authorities of the matter. For the issue to involve perjury, the person giving the false information must first undergo an oath of the court by a qualified person in a legal proceeding. If the situation involves an investigation without any court setting, the person may not commit perjury. Then, it is up to the person affected to prove that the details are false. He or she may need to explain the incident to a lawyer to help, but there is often no recourse against the other individual unless it is a claim of defamation.
False or misleading information with the courts usually constitutes perjury. However, if the person committing this crime provides inconsistent data, he or she may still commit perjury through restating the circumstances in a different manner that is inconsistent and inaccurate as to what actually occurred. The prosecution may press the person for more data. In certain situations, this could lead to the prosecuting lawyer pursuing the matter in court.
Legal Support for Lies in Court
The victim of the lies will need to explain that the person was not providing the truth. The lawyer may instigate prosecution against the perpetrator which could lead to severe consequences.