Perjury Charges and Penalties

Perjury is defined as lying under oath in court. When you testify in court as a witness, you confirm that you will tell the truth throughout your testimony, no matter what questions you are asked. In some cases, you may decline to answer a question and invoke your Fifth Amendment right under the U.S. Constitution. If you choose to lie under oath, however, and knowingly answer a question falsely, you could be charged with perjury.

In the state of Florida, perjury is a felony offense. It is taken extremely seriously because the outcome of criminal cases often relies on witness testimony. If you are not being truthful it could affect the results of the case one way or another, thus preventing a just outcome.

Punishment for Perjury

A perjury conviction could require you to spend up to four years in prison and pay heavy fines totaling to thousands of dollars. Even if you have no prior criminal record, you will at the very least face a long probation period, fines, community service, and possibly restitution as punishment for the offense. You will also have a criminal record that could limit your future opportunities.

Sometimes individuals may be wrongly accused of perjury. In order to be convicted, there must be proof that you intentionally lied under oath. Perhaps you gave false testimony but at the time did not know that what you said was not true. In that case, you were not knowingly lying and would not be guilty of perjury. If you have been charged with perjury, a criminal defense lawyer can help you sort through the specific details of your case to make sure that you have not been wrongly charged.

Contact Us

For sound legal advice and assistance with preparing a defense for your perjury charges, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced West Palm Beach criminal lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A. today at 561-353-2800.