Perjury And Wrongful Conviction Research
π What Is Perjury?
Perjury is knowingly making a false statement under oath in a legal proceeding. Itβs a serious offense under:
Federal law (18 U.S.C. Β§ 1621)
State laws
To prove perjury, the prosecution must show:
The person was under oath
They willfully made a false statement
The statement was material (important to the case)
π€ How Perjury Leads to Wrongful Convictions
False testimony β especially from:
Eyewitnesses
Jailhouse informants
Co-defendants
Police officers
β can sway juries and judges. Combined with lack of physical evidence or flawed forensics, perjury often leads to innocent people being imprisoned.
π Key Case Studies: Perjury Causing Wrongful Convictions
1. Kirk Bloodsworth (Maryland, 1985)
Crime: Rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl
Conviction Based On: Eyewitnesses (one later admitted confusion)
Perjury Element: Witnesses gave false or mistaken testimony about seeing Bloodsworth at the scene.
Outcome: Conviction overturned in 1993 via DNA evidence β first U.S. death row exoneree via DNA.
Significance: Shows how eyewitness perjury or mistakes can lead to wrongful death sentences.
2. Anthony Graves (Texas, 1994)
Crime: Murder of six family members
Conviction Based On: Testimony from co-defendant Robert Carter, who falsely implicated Graves
Perjury Element: Carter later admitted he lied to protect his wife and that Graves had no role.
Outcome: Graves was exonerated after 18 years in prison, 12 on death row.
Significance: Co-defendant perjury can be extremely damaging, especially when used in plea deals.
3. Walter Ogrod (Pennsylvania, 1996)
Crime: Murder of a 4-year-old girl
Conviction Based On: Testimony from jailhouse informants claiming Ogrod confessed
Perjury Element: Informants later admitted they lied in exchange for leniency
Outcome: Exonerated in 2020 after new evidence (including DNA) showed he was innocent.
Significance: Jailhouse informant perjury is a recurring cause of wrongful convictions.
4. Richard Phillips (Michigan, 1972)
Crime: Murder
Conviction Based On: False testimony from a co-defendant who struck a plea deal
Perjury Element: Co-defendant later admitted he lied to reduce his own sentence
Outcome: Released in 2018 after 45 years β the longest wrongful incarceration in U.S. history
Significance: Plea deals can incentivize perjury if unchecked by strong evidence.
5. Debra Milke (Arizona, 1990)
Crime: Alleged conspiracy to murder her 4-year-old son
Conviction Based On: Testimony from a detective who claimed she confessed (no recording or witnesses)
Perjury Element: The detective had a history of misconduct and fabricated the confession
Outcome: Conviction overturned; charges dropped in 2015 after 22 years on death row
Significance: Police perjury or false confession claims can be especially powerful β and dangerous.
6. Ronnie Long (North Carolina, 1976)
Crime: Rape
Conviction Based On: Eyewitness misidentification and suppressed forensic evidence
Perjury Element: Police and forensic witnesses misled the court about physical evidence
Outcome: Conviction overturned in 2020 after 44 years in prison
Significance: Perjury combined with evidence suppression magnifies wrongful conviction risk.
π§ Takeaways from the Case Studies
| Name | Type of Perjury | Years Lost | Key Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Bloodsworth | Eyewitness false ID | 8 years | Misidentification under oath can be deadly |
| Anthony Graves | Co-defendant false claim | 18 years | Pressure on co-defendants can cause false blame |
| Walter Ogrod | Jailhouse informant | 23 years | Informants may lie for deals |
| Richard Phillips | Plea deal co-defendant lie | 45 years | Perjury rewarded with leniency is dangerous |
| Debra Milke | Police false confession | 22 years | Law enforcement perjury is hard to fight |
| Ronnie Long | False forensic testimony | 44 years | Hidden or false expert testimony misleads courts |
π Legal Safeguards and Challenges
Brady violations: When the prosecution hides exculpatory evidence, it often includes known perjury.
Coram nobis / Habeas Corpus: Legal tools used to overturn convictions once perjury is uncovered.
Witness credibility is hard to challenge at trial unless there's hard contradictory evidence.
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