White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney for Perjury Charges

Bill Clinton broke no law when he had sex with an intern, but he was impeached for lying about it in sworn testimony. Barry Bonds allegedly used illegal steroids, but he was prosecuted for false statements to a grand jury. And the former mayor of Detroit faced charges in 2008 not for an extramarital affair with his chief of staff, but for denying it under oath.

The Birmingham, AL based law firm of Boles Holmes White represented then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on eight counts that included perjury charges. We have represented numerous elected officials, corporate executives and others throughout the United States accused of this serious felony crime.

Contact our attorneys if you are facing charges of perjury or are concerned that past sworn statements will soon come back to haunt you. Our white collar criminal defense attorneys have decades of collective experience.

Perjured Testimony

Perjury is any willfully false testimony, under oath or in a sworn affidavit, intended to deceive in connection with a matter before the court. Boles Holmes White has defended clients on perjury charges stemming from:

• Depositions
• Signed affidavits
• Grand jury proceedings
• Pre-trial hearings
• A trial

We advise clients not to lie in law enforcement interrogations or a Congressional inquiry, or on signed documents on which false statements are automatically considered criminal, such as loan applications or tax returns.

What is the Defense for Perjury?

Your words are preserved in print or on tape — you can’t claim you never said it. However, there are viable defenses to defeat the charges or mitigate the penalties:

• You did not know the statement to be false at the time.
• You could not be expected to recall perfectly a matter that happened years ago.
• You perjured yourself under orders from a superior.
• You were coerced to lie because of threats to yourself or loved ones.

The penalty for perjury is up to five years in prison.team make every effort to spare clients from that outcome. We intervene to have dubious charges dismissed before they are made public, or prepare to defend you at trial, and we explore agreements to avoid a conviction or minimize the sentence.

If you face perjury or Obstruction of Justice charges, call our office at 205-502-2000 to arrange a consultation.