Understanding the Consequences of Lying on the Stand
What happens if you tell your attorney that you plan to lie on the stand? Hi, my name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa felony attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been practicing family and criminal law for almost eight years now, and I want to help you make law easy by just talking a little bit about what to do if you plan to lie on the stand.
Don’t do it. That’s what you should do. Never lie on the stand. Here’s the thing. Lying on the stand is called perjury. That in and of itself is a criminal offense. It’s never a good idea to do that, but if you tell your attorney that you plan to do that, your attorney is going to be ethically bound to prevent you from either taking the stand or to call you out for lying when you’re on the stand.
Consequences of Perjury in Court
Let’s use a silly example. Let’s say you’re in a divorce case, and one of the allegations is that you slapped your ex-spouse around. You tell your attorney, oh yeah, no, I absolutely slapped the crap out of them, but I’m not going to admit to that. If they ask me, I’m going to deflect, evade, and just flat out deny, and I’ll lie about it.
Okay, that’s not good. You get up on the stand. You start lying about it. After you’ve told your attorney that you definitely did it, your attorney is going to have to stand up and say, Your Honor, I cannot allow my client to perpetrate a falsehood upon the court. I know for a fact that they’re lying, and it’s not going to go well. It’s not going to go well for you. It’s not going to go well for the attorney. It’s not going to go well for that day in court. It’s just a very, very bad idea.
Attorney’s Ethical Obligations
Lawyers are bound by attorney-client confidentiality, and a lot of the things that you tell your attorney we cannot say. But one thing that will override confidentiality is our duty to maintain honesty and professionalism with the court. So if you’re telling your attorney that you’re going to perjure yourself, your attorney is either not going to let you do it, or they are going to call you out for it if you do it on the stand.
So don’t do it. It’s not a good idea. It’s not going to help your case, and it quite frankly could land you in jail. If you have questions about this, give me a call. My name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa criminal attorney with Wirth Law Office, and I want to help you make law easy. Thank you.
Contact Us for a Low-Cost Initial Strategy Session
If you’re facing legal challenges and need advice on how to proceed honestly and effectively, consider reaching out for a strategy session. Call me at 918-879-1681. Together, we can discuss your options and ensure you’re taking the best legal steps forward without compromising your integrity or risking perjury charges.
