Chapter 9-15 Perjury

• Jurisdiction: United States

9-15 Perjury

9-15:1 Overview

Generally, a person perjures himself when he makes a false statement while under oath with the intent to deceive.⁷⁷ Simple perjury is a Class A misdemeanor, while aggravated perjury is a third degree felony.⁷⁸

9-15:1.1 Related Causes of Action

Common Law Fraud, Statutory Fraud

MUST READ CASES

Long v. Tanner, 170 S.W.3d 752 (Tex. App.—Waco 2005, pet. denied)

Prostok v. Browning, 112 S.W.3d 876 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2003), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 165 S.W.3d 336 (Tex. 2005)

9-15:2 Expressly Rejected in Texas

Texas courts have expressly rejected an independent cause of action for perjury⁷⁹based on the well settled premise that the Texas Penal Code does not create private causes of action.⁸⁰ Courts will look to both the form and substance of a plaintiff's pleadings to determine whether the plaintiff has pleaded the non-existent cause of action for perjury.⁸¹ Moreover, perjury is a form of intrinsic fraud and therefore cannot be used as a means to collaterally attack a final judgment.⁸²

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Notes:

^[77] Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 37.02.

^[78] Tex. Pen. Code Ann. §§ 37.02-37.03.

^[79] Long v. Tanner, 170 S.W.3d 752, 755 (Tex. App.—Waco 2005, pet. denied); Spurlock v. Johnson, 94 S.W.3d 655, 658 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2002, no pet.); see Trevino v. Ortega, 969 S.W.2d 950, 953 (Tex. 1998) (dicta).

^[80] Spurlock v. Johnson, 94 S.W.3d 655, 658 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2002, no pet.).

^[81] Prostok v. Browning, 112 S.W.3d 876, 915 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2003) aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 165 S.W.3d 336 (Tex. 2005).

^[82] Browning v. Prostok, 165 S.W.3d 336, 347-48 (Tex. 2005).