Swearing Match Law and Legal Definition
Swearing match is a dispute in which determining a vital fact involves the credibility choice between two witnesses’ words. Testimony of two witnesses may be irreconcilably in conflict, and there may be no other evidence to determine the question. When there is a swearing match, the testimony of the more reputable witness is generally accepted. In such cases, the fact-finder is generally thought to believe the more reputable witness, such as a police officer over a convicted controlled substance dealer. Swearing match is also known as ‘swearing contest,’ or ‘oath against an oath.’ The outcome of a swearing match usually depends on whom the jury finds most trustworthy.
When a court characterizes evidence as a swearing match, it simply means that the evidence was sharply contradictory. [Wilson v. State, 2003 Ark. App. LEXIS 387].
