State v. Churchill

The juvenile officer for the 10th Judicial Circuit filed an Emergency Petition for Protective Custody in the juvenile division of the circuit court after Mother denied the existence of her five-year-old son, JC. At an initial hearing, Mother appeared without JC and repeatedly testified under oath that JC did not exist. Mother subsequently surrendered JC to the juvenile officer and conceded that JC was her child. Thereafter, Mother was charged with perjury based on the false testimony she gave at the protective custody hearing. Mother moved to suppress her testimony on the ground that the conduct of the protective custody hearing violated her right to counsel and her privilege against self-incrimination. The motion was overruled, and Mother was found guilty of one count of perjury. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the trial court did not err in overruling Mother’s motion to suppress; and (2) the evidence was sufficient to prove that Mother committed perjury. View "State v. Churchill" on Justia Law