Section 210.00. Perjury and related offenses; definitions of terms  


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  • The following definitions are applicable to this article:
        1.  "Oath"  includes an affirmation and every other mode authorized by
      law of attesting to the truth of that which is stated.
        2. "Swear" means to state under oath.
        3. "Testimony" means an oral statement made under oath in a proceeding
      before  any  court,  body,  agency,  public  servant  or  other   person
      authorized  by law to conduct such proceeding and to administer the oath
      or cause it to be administered.
        4.  "Oath  required  by  law."  An  affidavit,  deposition  or   other
      subscribed  written  instrument is one for which an "oath is required by
      law" when, absent an oath or swearing thereto, it does not or would not,
      according to statute or appropriate regulatory  provisions,  have  legal
      efficacy  in  a  court of law or before any public or governmental body,
      agency or public servant to whom it is or might be submitted.
        5. "Swear falsely." A person "swears falsely"  when  he  intentionally
      makes  a  false statement which he does not believe to be true (a) while
      giving testimony, or (b) under oath in a subscribed written  instrument.
      A  false swearing in a subscribed written instrument shall not be deemed
      complete until the instrument is delivered  by  its  subscriber,  or  by
      someone  acting  in his behalf, to another person with intent that it be
      uttered or published as true.
        6. "Attesting  officer"  means  any  notary  public  or  other  person
      authorized  by  law  to  administer oaths in connection with affidavits,
      depositions and other subscribed written  instruments,  and  to  certify
      that  the  subscriber  of such an instrument has appeared before him and
      has sworn to the truth of the contents thereof.
        7. "Jurat" means a clause  wherein  an  attesting  officer  certifies,
      among  other  matters,  that  the subscriber has appeared before him and
      sworn to the truth of the contents thereof.