Legal Definitions - false answer

In a legal context, a false answer refers to a statement or response given in a formal legal document or proceeding that is untrue, inaccurate, or intentionally misleading. This can occur at various stages of a legal dispute, such as in a defendant's formal written response to a lawsuit (known as an "answer"), during the information-gathering phase (discovery), or when giving testimony under oath.

Providing a false answer can have significant legal repercussions, including sanctions from the court, charges of perjury (lying under oath), or an unfavorable judgment in the case.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a false answer:

• Example 1: Response to a Lawsuit

  Imagine a small business is sued for allegedly failing to pay a supplier for a large shipment of raw materials. In their formal written "answer" to the lawsuit, the business owner states, "All invoices from the supplier have been paid in full and on time." However, the owner knows that several invoices for the most recent shipment are still outstanding and deliberately chose not to pay them due to a dispute over quality.

  This is a false answer because the business owner's formal legal response to the complaint contains a factual assertion that they know to be untrue, directly addressing a key allegation in the lawsuit.

• Example 2: During Discovery (Interrogatories)

  Consider a lawsuit where a homeowner is suing a contractor for faulty renovation work. During the discovery phase, the contractor sends written questions (called interrogatories) to the homeowner, asking them to list all previous home renovation projects they have undertaken and any disputes arising from them. The homeowner responds, "This is my first major renovation project, and I have never had any disputes with contractors before," despite having previously sued another contractor for similar issues on a different property just two years prior.

  This constitutes a false answer because the homeowner provided an untruthful written response to formal legal questions posed during discovery, withholding relevant information about their past experiences.

• Example 3: During Testimony (Deposition)

  In a deposition for a car accident case, a witness is asked under oath about their whereabouts at the time of the accident. The witness states, "I was at home watching television," when in reality, they were driving past the accident scene and saw the collision occur, but they are trying to avoid getting involved.

  This is a false answer because the witness provided inaccurate information while testifying under oath in a formal legal proceeding, intending to mislead about their presence and potential knowledge of the event.