Before someone can be convicted of perjury, they have to be convicted of the crime. Perjury is a very hard crime to prove. But at perjury sentencing hearings, judges have not been lenient. Rapper Lil’ Kim spent a year in jail for lying to a grand jury about who was present at a shootout that occurred in 2001. Walter Libby received a 30-month sentenced that was later commuted by President George W. Bush.Perjury is basically lying under oath and the sentence can depend on where the lie was made. Lil’ Kim lied to a federal grand jury and could have been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Marion Jones pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail for lying about a check fraud scheme. Most perjury convictions and sentences are in criminal trials. Officials rarely pursue perjury charges in civil cases, believing it is hard to prove whether or not the person couldn’t remember the truth or deliberately lied.