How may a court consider perjury in sentencing of a defendant in a criminal case?

A court may consider a defendant's perjury in meting out a sentence. "A trial court's conclusion that a defendant has committed perjury may be considered as one fact to be considered in fixing punishment as it bears on the defendant's character and prospects for rehabilitation." (People v. Redmond (1981) 29 Cal.3d 904, 913.) "The commission of perjury is of obvious relevance in this regard, because it reflects on a defendant's criminal history, on [the defendant's] willingness to accept the commands of

Page 7

the law and the authority of the court, and on [the defendant's] character in general." (United States v. Dunnigan (1993) 507 U.S. 87, 94 (Dunnigan); see also Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.421(a)(6).)