George Zimmerman’s wife, Shellie, 25, has been charged with perjury by Florida law enforcement after she was arrested for allegedly lying about the family finances in order to obtain a lower bail amount for her husband, who shot Trayvon Martin.

She was released after her arrest on $1,000 bond. If convicted, she could be jailed for up to five years.

Perjury is one of the most rarely charged crimes in the United States. It is particularly difficult to prosecute because the prosecution must prove knowledge of false statements to the court, not merely false statements. It is no defense for Shellie Zimmerman to claim that she believed the underlying facts were immaterial; nonetheless, the prosecution will have to prove that she actively knew about the outside legal defense funding for her husband, and ignored it purposefully.