Perjury is the act of providing a false statement, testimony, document or disposition in an attempt to knowing mislead or misinform. This can include a written or oral statement in or outside of a courtroom and may also include the intentional omission of knowledge that is relevant to the question asked or the information requested. Attempting to get another person to lie or provide false information or testimony is called subornation of perjury and is against the law in both civil and criminal cases. The charges for perjury are determined by each state, however they are considered to be serious felony offenses. The court tends to take a very strict stand on any type of perjury in any type of criminal or civil case and there are few if any possible mitigating circumstances possible for defense. Many states allow for significant fines and court fee charges as well as up to five years in jail if an individual is found guilty. Although perjury may seem straight forward, it is often very difficult to actually prove in court.