Perjury
Perjury is a grave offense in Nevada and can put you in a position of facing criminal charges. Understanding what constitutes as perjury and what the possible sentences are can help you prepare for your case. Always remember that seeking expert, professional, seasoned legal counsel is always the best option to help you fight against perjury charges in the state of Nevada.
Definition of Perjury
Put simply, perjury is the act of lying in a situation in which you are formally under oath. This could be in a courtroom trial, financial statement, or affidavit. If you are about to sign any document that says that you affirm all information under threat of perjury, not being truthful in these documents could means you will be charged with perjury once the lie is found out.
A perjury charge won’t stand if you are unaware that what you are saying or writing is untrue. For instance, if you sign a financial statement that says you have $10,000 in a particular account, but you didn’t realize that an identity thief had stolen all of the money from that account, you wouldn’t be charged with perjury. This is because, at the time the document was signed, you had every reason to believe that those funds were still in your possession.
The formal definition of perjury is as follows:
“A person, having taken a lawful oath or made affirmation in a judicial proceeding or in any other matter where, by law, an oath or affirmation is required and no other penalty is prescribed, who:
- Willfully makes an unqualified statement of that which the person does not know to be true;
- Swears or affirms willfully and falsely in a matter material to the issue or point in question;
- Suborns any other person to make such an unqualified statement or to swear or affirm in such a manner;
- Executes an affidavit pursuant to NRS 15.010 which contains a false statement, or suborns any other person to do so; or
- Executes an affidavit or other instrument which contains a false statement before a person authorized to administer oaths or suborns any other person to do so,
is guilty of perjury or subornation of perjury, as the case may be, which is a category D felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130.”
– Nevada Legislature, Nevada Revised Statutes
There are 3 degrees of perjury that you may be charged with in Nevada.
Perjury Suborning: Gross Misdemeanor
Whether the perjury was eventually committed or not, even attempting to coerce someone else into lying under oath is a crime labelled a gross misdemeanor. This charge often carries a 1-year prison sentence or a fine of up to $2,000.
Perjury: Category D Felony
If you ever commit perjury yourself by lying under any formal oath, you risk being charged with perjury and facing as much as 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Willful Perjury: Category A Felony
If it is found out that you participated in perjury wilfully, meaning you intentionally lied in order to interfere with a legal proceeding (trial, document signing, etc.), you could end up spending the rest of your life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lesser sentences include life in prison with parole being a possibility after 20 served years or serving 50 years in prison with parole being a possibility after 20 served years.
Weiner Law Group To Help Fight For You
While some of these degrees of perjury may be more challenging than others to defend against, Weiner Law Group has the expertise to get you the lowest sentence possible in your case. Don’t try to defend yourself and steer clear of inexperienced lawyers and public defenders. Get a lawyer you can trust to get you the justice you deserve. Call us at 702-202-0500 to learn more about how we can help you defend against perjury charges.