Perjury is a felony if which condition is met?

Perjury is a felony if which condition is met?

• A. You only swore falsely
• B. You signed a written instrument containing an oath with intent to mislead a public servant
• C. You lied to a friend
• D. You didn't testify at all

Answer: (B)

The essential idea here is that a false statement becomes a felony when it’s made in a sworn, written document with the purpose of misleading a public servant. Lying in a document that contains an oath you sign—like an affidavit or other sworn statement—meets this standard because the oath is formal, the writing is official, and there’s an intent to deceive someone performing government duties. That combination isn’t present when you simply lie to a friend or when you haven’t sworn a written oath before a public official, so those scenarios don’t rise to the felony level.

The essential idea here is that a false statement becomes a felony when it’s made in a sworn, written document with the purpose of misleading a public servant. Lying in a document that contains an oath you sign—like an affidavit or other sworn statement—meets this standard because the oath is formal, the writing is official, and there’s an intent to deceive someone performing government duties. That combination isn’t present when you simply lie to a friend or when you haven’t sworn a written oath before a public official, so those scenarios don’t rise to the felony level.