![]() ![]() You can trust in our criminal defense lawyers' knowledge of case law and experience to find the right argument. Ultimately, the right defense will be determined by the specific nature of the accusations and the facts of the case. Demonstrating that the so-called extortion was actually a legitimate business tactic it's not extortion, for example, to say that you will only accept a project if you are paid a certain amount of money.Evidence that the person alleging extortion gave you the money or property at issue as a result of some other dynamic beyond coercion.Proof that the person alleging extortion has an ulterior motive the charge itself can be a form of blackmail.Some common defenses for this type of case include: Fortunately, The Cochran Firm's criminal defense lawyers are equipped to provide you with a vigorous defense. There will inevitably be serious fines associated with an extortion charge, and a lengthy prison sentence is quite likely as well (if convicted). Committing extortion as part of a computer crime is a federal offense. A public official who demands a bribe in exchange for the performance of duty or the approval of a request is engaged in extortion.įurthermore, extortion can be either a state or federal crime. Public corruption is another form of extortion. Blackmail is the other famous form of extortion, and it revolves not around the threat of violence but instead the threat of disclosure. This type of case is often grouped with white collar crimes, however, because the coercion does not need to be violent in nature. In the case of the classic protection shakedown scheme described above, the coercion is the threat (or even reality) of violence. What is Extortion?Īt its most basic, it is the illegally coerced acquisition of property, money or favors. Please call The Cochran Firm today at 1-80 for a free consultation. If you've been charged with a serious crime, an experienced criminal defense lawyer is a necessity. And we know how to represent you if you've been charged with this serious crime. We know what qualifies as extortion and what does not. The Cochran Firm's criminal defense lawyers have seen how prosecutors attempt to prove extortion charges. And prosecutors are seldom reluctant to press a charge. However, it's not the only example of extortion. A criminal offering to "protect" a business in exchange for a monthly payment is, in reality, an unspoken threat: pay me or I destroy your business. There have been many high profile cases of blackmail where celebrities have been found paying money to cover up their illicit relationships.Many people are familiar with the concept of extortion as a result of exposure to mobster movies. If the victim feels his image will be destroyed by the revelation of some information about which the criminal has proof, he agrees to pay money to the offender. ![]() We hear of so many cases of women being blackmailed into submission once the criminal obtains their photos or videos in a compromising position with a person. Today, blackmail has come to refer to act of threatening a person to reveal something about him that may be socially damaging or embarrassing for him. During those times, mail meant tribute or rent. The word is made up of two parts black and mail where black signifies the evil nature of such an act whereas mail comes from English of the Middle Ages. A police officer not performing his duty to nab culprits in lieu of extortion he gets from the criminals falls under this category.īlackmail is a term that originated when Scottish farmers were threatened by chieftains and asked protection money from these hapless fellows. Withholding testimony to extract money from a person or company also constitutes extortion. Even a government official can be accused of extortion as when he obtains money to perform an official act. ![]() Now this coercion could be because of threat of violence, use of governmental action, or by inducing fear emotionally. Euphemistically, it is called protection as when organized syndicate or gang wrests money from people in lieu of providing protection to them.Ĭoercing someone to cough out money or favor is extortion. This article attempts to highlight the differences between extortion and blackmail so that readers are able to use the right word in the right context.Įxtortion is a crime that involves making use of threat of violence to exact money from a person or a company. In both extortion and blackmail, people are threatened, and coercion is used to extract money or favor from them. The concept behind the two is similar making people confuse as to which of the two terms to use in a particular situation. Extortion and blackmail are similar crimes or offenses that we hear frequently and also read in newspapers.
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