United States v. Stargell

“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” is the key part of the oath that all witnesses must take before they are allowed to testify before a jury in America and most common-law countries. The triple use of the word “truth” in a short, one-sentence oath is unusual but warranted by the supreme importance that truth must play before a jury. A jury’s judgment would not be a just one if it was not based on truth. If you look at the record in the case of Kenth Stargell, it is apparent that the jury’s sentence was based on an untrue statement of fact made to them by the prosecution.…