A New Jersey Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer Discusses Perjury

If you have been charged with or accused of perjury, you should consider speaking with a federal criminal defense lawyer. The penalties for perjury can be severe, and you will not want to fight your charges alone.

Overview of Perjury

Statements given under oath carry great weight in court. That’s why there are significant penalties attached to someone who perjures himself and gives a false statement under oath, as your federal criminal defense attorney can explain further. Generally, there are two main ways in which a defendant can perjure himself:

• Making a false statement in court
• Signing a legal document such as an affidavit known to contain false or misleading information

Within these two broad categories, a federal criminal defense lawyer can explain to you the many different ways someone can be accused of committing perjury.

Proving Perjury

A federal criminal defense lawyer can explain to you that to be convicted of perjury, a prosecutor generally needs to prove more than just a false statement. For example, a perjury claim typically involves both a false statement and an intent to mislead.