The constitutions guarantee that a defendant has a right to witnesses. That grants the judges authority to get the witness to the stand.

I have seen evidence that some state codes grant the judge authority to hold a witness in contempt of court if he refuses to swear or affirm on the witness stand. So I might spend some time in the holding cell with my approach. Once I saw that code it makes sense to me that there is no use getting a witness to the stand if you cannot accept his testimony. But I still hold that it is the action of swearing or affirming that binds one under authority of the court for perjury.


Regards,

David Merrill.