Nebraska Statutes 28-915. Perjury; subornation of perjury; penalty
(1) A person is guilty of perjury if, in any (a) official proceeding he or she makes a false statement under oath or equivalent affirmation, or swears or affirms the truth of a statement previously made, when the statement is material and he or she does not believe it to be true or (b) official proceeding in the State of Nebraska he or she makes a false statement in any unsworn declaration meeting the requirements of the Uniform Unsworn Foreign Declarations Act under penalty of perjury when the statement is material and he or she does not believe it to be true. Perjury is a Class III felony.
Attorney's Note
Under the Nebraska Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class III felony | up to 4 years | up to $25,000 |
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 28-915
- Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Foreign: when applied to corporations shall include all those created by authority other than that of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
- Oath: shall include affirmation in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Person shall: include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
- Sworn: shall include affirmed in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
(2) A person is guilty of subornation of perjury if he or she persuades, procures, or suborns any other person to commit perjury. Subornation of perjury is a Class III felony.
(3) A falsification shall be material, regardless of the admissibility of the statement under rules of evidence, if it could have affected the course or outcome of the proceeding. It shall not be a defense that the declarant mistakenly believed the falsification to be immaterial. Whether a falsification is material in a given factual situation shall be a question of law.
(4) It shall not be a defense to prosecution under this section that the oath or affirmation was administered or taken in an irregular manner or that the declarant was not competent to make the statement. A document purporting to be made upon oath or affirmation at any time when the actor presents it as being so verified shall be deemed to have been duly sworn or affirmed. A document purporting to meet the requirements of the Uniform Unsworn Foreign Declarations Act shall be deemed to have been made under penalty of perjury.
(5) No person shall be guilty of an offense under this section if he or she retracted the falsification in the course of the proceeding in which it was made before it became manifest that the falsification was or would be exposed and before the falsification substantially affected the proceeding.
(6) When the defendant made inconsistent statements under oath or equivalent affirmation, both having been made within the period of the statute of limitations, the prosecution may proceed by setting forth the inconsistent statements in a single count alleging in the alternative that one or the other was false and not believed by the defendant. In such case it shall not be necessary for the prosecution to prove which statement was false but only that one or the other was false and not believed by the defendant to be true.
(7) No person shall be convicted of an offense under this section when proof of falsity rests solely upon contradiction by testimony of a single person other than the defendant.