Perjury is the criminal offense of making a false statement under oath—verbally or in writing—that the witness knows to be false and that is material to the proceeding in which the statement is made. And suborning perjury or subornation of perjury is the criminal offense of procuring the perjury of another person.
Perjury is a criminal offense under both state and federal laws and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony offense, depending on the state or federal jurisdiction, and whether there are any aggravating factors that increase the seriousness of the crime. Perjury laws are located in state statutes—often in the penal or criminal code—and the federal perjury law is located in the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. §1621.
In Texas, perjury is defined as intentionally making a false statement while under oath, either orally or in writing, in a proceeding or on a document requiring an oath. This includes legal proceedings and other instances where an oath is legally required. Perjury is considered a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law, as outlined in the Texas Penal Code, unless the false statement is made during or in connection with an official proceeding, in which case it is a third-degree felony. Subornation of perjury, which involves inducing or persuading another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense in Texas and is treated with similar severity as perjury itself. At the federal level, perjury is governed by 18 U.S.C. §1621, and it is a felony offense that can lead to significant penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Both state and federal laws aim to uphold the integrity of the legal system by deterring and punishing false statements under oath.
