Alabama Private Investigator Practice Exam

A person commits the crime of perjury in the second degree when he swears with intent to mislead a public servant in the performance of his duty and his false statement is material to the action. What is the classification of this crime?

1. Class B misdemeanor

2. Class A misdemeanor

3. Felony

4. No crime committed

The correct answer is: Class A misdemeanor

The classification of perjury in the second degree as a Class A misdemeanor is grounded in legal standards that emphasize the seriousness of intentionally misleading a public servant. This classification indicates that such an act is considered more severe than minor infractions but not as grave as felonies. In this instance, the crucial elements involve the intent to mislead and the materiality of the false statement. When a person knowingly provides false information that is significant to a legal matter, it undermines the integrity of the judicial process and can lead to wrongful conclusions or actions by the public servant. Legislators categorize these types of offenses to reflect the potential harm caused by deceitful actions in a legal context. While there are laws specifying varying degrees of misdemeanors and felonies, the context of perjury underscores how critical truthful testimony is to law enforcement and judicial proceedings, thereby justifying the categorization as a Class A misdemeanor rather than a less severe classification or being deemed no crime at all.