September 17, 2007

The truth, the whole truth, about lying in court

Edward Walsh:

It was a rare and startling moment in any courtroom. The judge was sentencing a defendant, but directed some of his harshest comments at three witnesses who had helped prosecutors obtain the conviction.

One of the witnesses "flat-out lied. He should be charged with perjury," said Multnomah County Circuit Judge Michael McShane.

The judge's outburst was unusual, but it also raised a fundamental question about the justice system: How much lying occurs in courtrooms by people who have sworn to tell the truth?

Posted by James Zellmer at September 17, 2007 8:21 AM | Subscribe to this site via RSS:
Posted to Culture