Lying to a Court Can Result in Severe Penalties

Transcript: Hi.  I’m Indiana personal injury attorney David Holub and this video is about the consequence of lying to a court or in a deposition under oath, or in any setting under oath.

Lying isn’t just a bad thing to do, it can have disastrous consequences on your case.

A plaintiff who lies can have their case thrown out of court.  When a plaintiff brings a case in court, you are declaring as the plaintiff that the facts you are asserting in court are true and that you have a valid claim.  If you’re lying about that claim, your case can be dismissed.

If a defendant is lying, they can also be penalized.  They may be defaulted, or they may have certain issues foreclosed in their lawsuit.  For example, if a defendant has a defense that they’ve raised that somehow you were at fault, but they have lied about that subject or just lied in general, they can be penalized, and either prevented from submitting evidence or defaulting.

A lying witness, whether a plaintiff, defendant, or just a third party witness, can be penalized criminally.  And they can be fined, and they can be jailed if they have lied to a court of law.  Making false, material statements of fact is called perjury.

It constitutes a level six felony, and can result in imprisonment for up to six months–sometimes in some circumstances up to a year–and penalties such as fines up to $10,000.  There are consequences to lying for both the plaintiff, the defendant, or any witness who is engaged in lying.

Hopefully this video has provided you some information and answered your question on this subject.  Please check out our website for additional informational videos.