{"id":800,"date":"2012-10-19T15:14:25","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T19:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=800"},"modified":"2023-08-12T20:25:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T00:25:36","slug":"75-elements-of-duress-threat-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=800","title":{"rendered":"75. Elements of Duress: Threat & Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 14: Do or Die
Duress pg 5: The First Two Elements<\/p>\n

Duress is a complete defense. That means, if it applies, then you didn’t commit a crime at all. It’s not that you’re excused for doing it, but that there’s nothing to excuse in the first place.<\/p>\n

So let’s see if this defense applies to Vicky.<\/p>\n

As with everything else in Criminal Law, each state defines it differently. But in general:<\/p>\n

FIRST: Someone else has to have made a\u00a0threat,<\/strong> that you commit the crime or else.<\/p>\n

Thug Biker casually resting shotgun over his shoulder<\/em><\/p>\n

THUG BIKER<\/em><\/p>\n

Either you rent out that hole, or I give you some new ones.<\/p>\n

SECOND: The threat must give you an actual, reasonable\u00a0fear<\/strong> that you (or someone close to you) will be killed.<\/p>\n

Looking down the barrel of that shotgun<\/em><\/p>\n

SHOTGUN<\/em><\/p>\n

Or at least pretty goddamn seriously injured.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>Transcript<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,38,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criminal-law","category-defenses","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t