

§ 18-3-207 – Aggravated ExtortionĪ person commits aggravated criminal extortion if, in addition to the acts described in subsection (1) of this section, the person threatens to cause the results described in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section by means of chemical, biological, or harmful radioactive agents, weapons, or poison. Invoking action by a third party, including but not limited to, the state or any of its political subdivisions, whose interests are not substantially related to the interests pursued by the person making the threat.Ī person commits criminal extortion if the person, with the intent to induce another person against that other person’s will to give the person money or another item of value, threatens to report to law enforcement officials the immigration status of the threatened person or another person. Performing or causing an unlawful act to be performed or The person threatens to cause the results described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) by: The person, without legal authority and with the intent to induce another person against that other person’s will to perform an act or to refrain from performing a lawful act, makes a substantial threat to confine or restrain, cause economic hardship or bodily injury to, or damage the property or reputation of, the threatened person or another person andī. § 18-3-207, any individual who takes money or property from another individual by methods of illegal compulsion may be charged with the crime of extortion. The extortion statute in Colorado expands further on the common-law extortion definition. To induce someone to act against their will to complete a certain act or refrain from completing an act is to use extortion. The definition of extortion is the practice of obtaining something, typically money, by use of force or threats to a person, their property, or their reputation. Alerting authorities to another individual’s illegal immigration status is also a recently qualified form of extortion. Another example might be an angry ex threatening to post nude photographs of their ex-spouse if they don’t let them keep the family home following a divorce. However, it doesn’t always have to be money that’s on the table. Whatever terminology you use, it is against the law to extort money or other valued compensation in return for not exposing harmful or incriminating information about another person.įor example, threatening to release evidence of an extramarital affair involving a politician unless they pay a certain sum of money is a common type of extortion. However, the crime of extortion can apply to both public and private citizens. Traditionally, the crime of extortion is reserved for threats against or by public figures or government officials, while blackmail describes the extortion of a private person. Many people may consider extortion to be synonymous with blackmail, which for the most part, it is. In this post, our Denver criminal defense attorneys at WeedenLaw will provide information to help you better understand what extortion means and what can come from an extortion charge. The speech becomes illegal when used as leverage or to blackmail another individual. Though the First Amendment of the Consitution permits the freedom of speech, and thus, allows people to speak about another person’s private life, there is a difference between that and extortion.

When a person obtains damaging information – whether it is true or false – they cannot threaten to use that knowledge to damage someone else’s life or reputation in return for money. Criminal Defense Strategy | White Collar Crime Extortion in Colorado
