Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 17-A
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451 (2026)

Perjury

✓ current as of May 2026
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1.  A person is guilty of perjury if he makes:  
A. In any official proceeding, a false material statement under oath or affirmation, or swears or affirms the truth of a material statement previously made, and he does not believe the statement to be true; or   [PL 1975, c. 740, §61 (AMD).]
B. Inconsistent material statements, in the same official proceeding, under oath or affirmation, both within the period of limitations, one of which statements is false and not believed by him to be true.   [PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 1975, c. 740, §61 (AMD).]
2.  In a prosecution under subsection 1, paragraph B, it need not be alleged or proved which of the statements is false but only that one or the other was false and not believed by the person to be true.  
[PL 1999, c. 13, §1 (AMD).]
3.  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the defendant retracted the falsification in the course of the official proceeding in which it was made, and before it became manifest that the falsification was or would have been exposed.  
[PL 1981, c. 317, §12 (AMD).]
3-A.  In a prosecution under subsection 1, paragraph A, evidence that the allegedly false testimony in the prior official proceeding was contradicted by evidence in that proceeding may not be a sufficient basis by itself to sustain a conviction for perjury.  
[PL 1981, c. 317, §13 (NEW).]
4.  It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the oath or affirmation was administered or taken in an irregular manner or that the declarant was not a competent witness in making the statement or was disqualified from doing so. A document purporting to be made upon oath or affirmation at any time when the actor presents it as being so verified shall be deemed to have been duly sworn or affirmed.  
[PL 1975, c. 740, §62 (AMD).]
5.  As used in this section:  
A. "Official proceeding" means any proceeding before a legislative, judicial, administrative or other governmental body or official authorized by law to take evidence under oath or affirmation including a notary or other person taking evidence in connection with any such proceeding;   [PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
B. "Material" means capable of affecting the course or outcome of the proceeding.   [PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
6.  Perjury is a Class C crime.  
[PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 1975, c. 740, §§61,62 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 512, §27 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 317, §§12,13 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 13, §1 (AMD).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1976–2024 · leading case: State of Maine v. Troy D. Hastey, 2018 ME 147 (Me. 2018).
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State of Maine v. Troy D. Hastey, 2018 ME 147 (Me. 2018). “§ 253(7) (2017) (gross sexual assault); 17-A M.R.S. § 451(2) (2017) (perjury); 17-A M.”
Opinion of the Justices of the Supreme Jud. Court, 355 A.2d 341 (Me. 1976). · cites it 2× “17-A MRSA § 451, sub-§ 1, ¶ A, as enacted by PL 1975, c.”
State v. Lunney, 400 A.2d 759 (Me. 1979). · cites it 2× “The indictment for perjury was brought under 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1978).' That section has not been changed since it was amended by P.”
State of Maine v. Thomas Ferguson, 2019 ME 10 (Me. 2019). “An error in a witness’s perception or recall of events, which is all that the record supports here, is not “a false material statement [made] under oath .”
State v. Ferguson, 200 A.3d 272 (Me. 2019). “demonstrated that any particular testimony about the events was perjured, much less that any perjured testimony contributed to the [court's] verdict.”
State v. Farrington, 411 A.2d 396 (Me. 1980). · cites it 3× “Indicted for perjury, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1979), defendant Kenneth W.”
State of Maine v. David M. Wyman, 2015 ME 2 (Me. 2015). · cites it 2× “Wyman appeals from a judgment of conviction of perjury (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 451(1)(A) (2014), entered by the trial court (Anderson, J.”
State of Maine v. Jeffrey P. Wyman, 2015 ME 1 (Me. 2015). “Wyman appeals from a judgment of conviction of perjury (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 451(1)(A) (2014), entered in the trial court (Anderson, J.”
State v. Boone, 444 A.2d 438 (Me. 1982). “17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1981). 4 . The defendant’s affidavit, in pertinent part, stated the following: On September 24, 1980, I changed my pleas to nolo contendere.”
State v. Cameron, 456 A.2d 8 (Me. 1983). · cites it 2× “The Defendant, Richard Cameron, appeals his conviction of one count of perjury, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451, following a jury-waived trial in Superior Court, Penobscot County.”
Price v. Patterson, 606 A.2d 783 (Me. 1992). “17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (1983) provides, in pertinent part: 1.”
Scott v. Cent. Maine Power Co., 709 F. Supp. 1176 (D. Me. 1989). “False swearing is a class D crime, punishable by imprisonment for less than one year, see Me.Rev.Stat.Ann. tit. 17-A, §§ 452, 1252, whereas perjury is a class C crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, see Me.”
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Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451(1)(A): 6 cases
State of Maine v. Thomas Ferguson, 2019 ME 10 (Me. 2019). “An error in a witness’s perception or recall of events, which is all that the record supports here, is not “a false material statement [made] under oath .”
State v. Ferguson, 200 A.3d 272 (Me. 2019). “demonstrated that any particular testimony about the events was perjured, much less that any perjured testimony contributed to the [court's] verdict.”
State of Maine v. David M. Wyman, 2015 ME 2 (Me. 2015). “Wyman appeals from a judgment of conviction of perjury (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 451(1)(A) (2014), entered by the trial court (Anderson, J.”
State of Maine v. Jeffrey P. Wyman, 2015 ME 1 (Me. 2015). “Wyman appeals from a judgment of conviction of perjury (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 451(1)(A) (2014), entered in the trial court (Anderson, J.”
State v. Farrington, 411 A.2d 396 (Me. 1980). “Indicted for perjury, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1979), defendant Kenneth W.”
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451(2): 3 cases
State of Maine v. Troy D. Hastey, 2018 ME 147 (Me. 2018). “§ 253(7) (2017) (gross sexual assault); 17-A M.R.S. § 451(2) (2017) (perjury); 17-A M.”
State v. Lunney, 400 A.2d 759 (Me. 1979). “The indictment for perjury was brought under 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1978).' That section has not been changed since it was amended by P.”
State of Maine v. Troy D. Hastey, 2018 ME 147 (Me. 2018).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451(3): 1 case
State v. Farrington, 411 A.2d 396 (Me. 1980). “Indicted for perjury, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451 (Supp.1979), defendant Kenneth W.”
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451(5)(A): 2 cases
State of Maine v. Steven E Clarke, 2015 ME 70 (Me. 2015).
State v. Maynard, 926 A.2d 172 (Me. 2007).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 451(5)(B): 1 case
State v. Cameron, 456 A.2d 8 (Me. 1983). “The Defendant, Richard Cameron, appeals his conviction of one count of perjury, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 451, following a jury-waived trial in Superior Court, Penobscot County.”
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