Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Georgia
Swearing in an atheist.
In most courts, it seems the swearing in of witnesses includes the words ''so help you god.'' Should a witness or potential juror whose belief system does not include a deity as its focus make the court aware of this, and what happens in such instances? How does it typically affect the testimony of the witness as far as attorneys and jurors are concerned, and would it ever prohibit someone from serving on a jury? Thank you.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Swearing in an atheist.
The words "so help me God" are not required by law.
In federal court the words used are usually that one "declares under penalty of perjury." No deity is mentioned.
I am both an attorney and a city Court Judge. The oath I use is "Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." I don't use the words you mention afterwards. The words "or affirm" not only help with atheists, but also Orthodox Jews, and several Christian faiths that prohibited oaths.
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