Many people think that Perjury is only charged when a person lies on the stand while under oath. However, in Fort Collins and Larimer County, there are two Perjury degrees: Perjury in the First Degree and Perjury in the Second Degree, and one of them does not require the false statement to be made during a court appearance. Second Degree Perjury is what applies to a recent Colorado case after it was discovered that six people forged signatures on a petition related to a 2022 ballot. According to the article, the petition was to include a candidate on the primary ballot. The high number of signatures raised eyebrows and the petition was reviewed. Unfortunately, some of the signatures on the petition were of those who were deceased and others who had moved out of the state. Six people were identified, as they had been hired by the candidate’s campaign. Those six people were charged with Attempt to Influence a Public Servant and Perjury.
Larimer County Perjury Defense Attorney: Definition of Perjury in the First Degree in Colorado
As stated previously, there are two degrees of Perjury in Colorado. The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Perjury in the First Degree – C.R.S. 18-8-502 – is:
First Degree Perjury is a class 4 felony. A vital definition for this crime is ‘official proceeding.’ According to Colorado law, “Official proceeding” means:
Obviously, this would not apply to those charged for the petition forgery, as there was no official proceeding involved in signing the document.
Defense Lawyer for Perjury Charges in Loveland: Definition of Petition Perjury in the Second Degree
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Perjury in the Second Degree – C.R.S. 18-8-503 – is defined as:
Basically, by falsely signing someone’s name to an official petition (which requires specific information to verify identity) to mislead a public servant (the person counting the signatures to verify the requirement has been met to add someone to the ballot), the six were charged with this crime. Perjury in the second degree is a class 2 misdemeanor.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Perjury, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. We also practice in Greeley and Weld County. Click HERE to visit our Weld County website. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov