I qualified my original statement by saying "I think this depends on the state". Although now that I think of it, the laws in the states I know also say you can be made to pay back the costs if it is determined you could afford an attorney, however I have never seen anything done about it.

So I think you're right, it is perjury that doesn't really get anything done about it - I think based on the idea that if you had the money to get an attorney you would do it so anyone saying they can't get an attorney doesn't have the money.