History Of Witness Oaths

Reporting a story about a 20-year old art student convicted of graffiti vandalism, who was also held in criminal contempt for refusing to take the oath as a witness, today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carries an interesting article on the form of the oath that witnesses are required to take. Pennsylvania's oath calls for the potential witness to "swear by Almighty God, the Searcher of all hearts". The article reviews much of the history of oaths and objections to them over the years.