Crack the Alabama PI Exam 2026 - Uncover Your Investigator Potential!

To commit perjury, an individual must possess the intent to mislead a public servant. This offense occurs when a person knowingly makes a false statement while under oath, indicating a clear intention to deceive the court or the officials involved in a legal proceeding. The essence of perjury lies in the act of deliberately providing false information, demonstrating that the individual's primary goal is to misrepresent the truth and thereby corrupt the integrity of the legal process.

This intentional deceit is fundamental to perjury, as it undermines the judicial system's reliance on truthful testimony for the fair administration of justice. Without this intent to mislead, a statement, even if it turns out to be false, would not constitute perjury.