More than one corporate lawyer I know has told me that they appear in court and take stands that they know are based on false facts. One such attorney told me that she represented the tobacco companies and knowingly lied to the court about facts. I have also had similar conversations with divorce attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, and an attorney representing a litigant in a probate case.
In MY worlds … science or medicine, this practice would at least get me fired. In science, for example, such behavior we have an NIH court-like procedure that bars investigators from getting funded if they are caught lying.
Given how dependent the American system is on “officers of the court” why aren’t court officers “bearing false witness” routinely prosecuted? I have been told by Roger Rabbit here on TA, that prosecutors will not bring charges against fellow attorneys because there is a belief that restricting attorney speech would impair the ability of the opposing sides to play the game for their sponsors. The implication is that attorneys are being paid more because they are good at lying.
It seems to me that enforcing perjury laws against lawyers would be a good cause for the next lawyer who wants to become an AG!