I was always told "don't swear", so if I have to go to court, can I refuse to take the oath?
594594
you can refuse anything in court if you want to.  Now they may not agree with you...lol\nbut that is your prerogative if you wish to get thrown in the hoosegow....lol
389657
Depends on how legit the charge is.  If you're absolutely certain you did nothing wrong, you can refuse to sign it and request court-martial.  I wouldn't recommend this unless you're positive of your innocence.  Either way, you should seek legal advice.
612444
be a nerd. be as innocent and sweet looking as possible. say yes sir, no sir, may i speak.... right now your goal is to have the judge as sympathetic as possible. you aren't going to accomplish much if you go in with that attitude and lame labels like BS and gay shit. it doesn't matter how full of it you think an officer is for giving you a citation. the fact is you got it. now grow up and deal with it. that's what sucks about being an adult. you can't just throw a hissy fit and hope that mommy and daddy don't wanna put up with your screaming enough to give you your way. \nwear a blue suit if you have it. don't speak unless you are spoken to and when you want to say something ask for permission first. if you have a lawyer that's best. he/she can talk for you and you won't risk ramming your foot into your mouth. don't make excuses like "everybody does it" or "i wasn't even drunk." take responsibility and show regret. if you have to promise you will never drink again for the rest of your life DO IT!!! \notherwise, go to jail. a judge who doesn't wanna put up with your bull would be glad to plant you right there.
201460
Yes. You have to obey the order that was given to you, no matter where you live. The order has already been handed down to you. It does not matter where you live, you still have to obey the law.
979977
not if you dont mind going to jail. Its a promise to answer the charge, not an admission of anything.
675433
no, you can always refuse a letter, even if it is hand delivered, or if you are being served.  The postal person will not even argue they will just write refused and return to sender.
731089
As is so often the case the devil is in the detail and what we need to know is 'why do you want to get out of it?' I suspect you have given a witness statement to the authorities, normally the police, and because they suspect or already know that you are reluctant to attend the hearing willingly they have been granted a witness summons to ensure your attendance. This often happens in situations where the witness is a source of evidence against a person they know well or are frightened of eg a battered wife v her abusive husband, etc. If a person ignores a witness summons the judge can issue a warrant for the non attending witnesses arrest, so it goes from bad to worse.If I'm any where near the real reason I suggest you speak to the investigating officers. Tell them frankly of your concerns. Perhaps a family or witness liaison officer will be available with various options, including a friend or officer  to attend with you for moral support. being kept in a separate room until called in to give evidence thereby avoiding waiting contact with the defendant, visits before hand to the court to be shown the layout and procedures etc etc. An unwilling witness can still be asked questions by the prosecution side and be treated as an 'hostile witness' which in effect includes getting you to acknowledge the truth of your earlier statement or risk perjury or contempt if for whatever reason you turn against what you initially said. Please seek help from the prosecution team.
915369
No court can exceed it's legal juristriction, therefore a court in England can not force it's decision in India. There is no possiability of extradiction over such a trivial issue. However, if you ever return to the UK you could be arrested and possiably charged with contempt over your failure to comply with a court order
885476
The bible is only symbolic. You can swear an oath on anything, the point is not what you are swearing ON but rather WHAT you are swearing. You could swear and oath on Winnie the Pooh and if you lied on the stand it would still be perjury.
546237
All actions are detailed in your probation agreement that you signed.  If there is a question on a polygraph and it is not on the agreement, you can request a hearing before the judge to explain why you feel you do not want to take a polygraph.  If you did nothing wrong, just take the polygraph.  Refusing to follow instructions from your PO is just asking for problems.
697287
They would not swear on a bible they would swear a solemn oath.  If they were to swear on a bible their testimony could be disregarded!
162200
No, you cannot by law be forced to sign anything you don't want to.  However, it is in your best interest to read carefully and sign what is not harmful to you.  No need to add to the problems involved in being terminated.  You would be very well within your rights to say, "I will need to take this to my lawyer and get his advice before I sign."
452216
NO CONTEST, no contest means ur not pleading anything.  it's kinda like saying nothin in a way, ur not sayin u did do it, ur not sayin u didnt do it.  it's in between, regardless, ull prob still get a fine if they gave u a dui test and u were way over the limit or something.  but if its ur first offense i think u'll be alrite. no matter what ur gonna get in some kinda bs trouble unless u feel like gettin a lawyer and pleadin guilty.  good luck\n\n"If I don't drink and drive, how the f*ck am I gettin home?"
61842
The following is what is said before a person gives testimony:\n\nDo you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God or under the pains and penalties of perjury?\n\nIt allows for those who do not want to swear (they can affirm), and ensures that the person swearing or affirming is aware of the penalties for lying.
853171
No way, police officers swear to UPHOLD THE RIGHT OF THE LAW and selling their rights that they swore under oath should never be messed with. For one, officers who do this should not have the priviledge of being a police officer let alone working for the government.
1099285
Typically you need to apply, pay a fee and take an oath. It varies by state. Check the links below for more detail.
787470
It is everyone's right NOT to recite the Pledge if they don't want to, or to omit the speaking of any words within it that they may happen not to agree with.\n\n     ALL schoolchildren should be advised of this.  And then if they ever are put into a position of being forced to do otherwise, they either should ask their parents to report the incident to the ACLU, or do so themselves, if they're old enough to know how.