§1623 False Declarations Before Grand Jury or Court

Summary

If a person knowingly lies under oath in a U.S. court or grand jury, or in a sworn statement allowed by federal law, or uses papers or other material they know contain false statements, they can be fined or sent to prison for up to 5 years. If the matter is before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or its review court, the prison time can be up to 10 years. The rule applies whether the act happened inside or outside the United States. A charge can say the person made two or more sworn statements that contradict each other without naming which one is false, as long as each statement mattered to the case and was made within the time limit for bringing charges. Saying you honestly believed each statement was true can be a defense. If someone admits a false statement during the same ongoing proceeding before it has affected the case or been exposed, that admission can stop a prosecution. Conviction must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and there is no required number or type of witnesses or evidence.