Defamation and Perjury (bad-mouthing someone in court)

Perjury is when someone lies under oath and perjury can be a crime. If someone believes that another person has committed perjury, s/he can speak with a prosecutor in the county where it occurred to see if s/he will agree to prosecute the case. The prosecutor (also known as the district attorney) is an attorney who works for the state and is in charge of taking criminal cases to court. To prosecute the case, the prosecutor has to believe that there is enough evidence to verify a claim or perjury and enough evidence to convince a jury or a judge that perjury was committed. It is often hard to prove perjury beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the legal standard for criminal cases. Therefore, if the person who is alleging the perjury has any evidence to prove the perjury, it can be helpful to bring it to the prosecutor. Prosecutors don’t take every case that comes their way – and they often decide what cases to take (and which cases to reject) based on how much evidence is available.

You might want to talk to a domestic violence advocate or a lawyer for help in approaching the prosecutor. Here is a link for advocates in your state [LINK TO WHERE TO FIND HELP, STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES]