State v. Lewis

(dissenting) — The majority opinion ignores the plain requirements of our statutes, creating an oath where there was none and then upholding a perjury conviction for violating it. The respondent was convicted under a statute which makes it a crime to “swear falsely.” RCW 9.72.030. To “swear,” one must state something “under oath,” and an “oath,” to be legally recognizable, must be taken in a “mode authorized by law . . .” RCW 9.72.040.

The sole legally authorized method for taking an oath in applications for replacements for lost license plates is established by RCW 46.16.270, which requires…