2015) (clarifying that defendant does not have to admit knowing or intentional commission of crime to assert duress defense).Ī defendant is not entitled to present a duress defense to the jury unless the defendant has made a prima facie showing of duress in a pre-trial offer of proof. A defendant is not obligated to admit guilt to a crime as a precondition for raising the affirmative defense of duress. 1993) (in prosecution for importation of cocaine, burden is on defendant to prove duress, coercion or compulsion by a preponderance of the evidence). Use this instruction when the defendant alleges that he or she committed the alleged criminal act under duress, coercion or compulsion. because coercive conditions or necessity negates a conclusion of guilt even though the necessary mens rea was present.’" Id. "Like the defense of necessity, the defense of duress does not negate a defendant’s criminal state of mind when the applicable offense requires a defendant to have acted knowingly or willfully instead, it allows the defendant to ‘avoid liability. 1, 7-8 (2006), the Supreme Court held that when a statute is silent on the question of an affirmative defense and when the affirmative defense does not negate an essential element of the offense, the burden is on the defendant to prove the elements of the defense by a preponderance of the evidence. Although not an element in non-escape cases, whether the defendant surrendered to authorities upon reaching a point of safety is nevertheless relevant to whether the third element is satisfied. "n order to be entitled to an instruction on duress or necessity as a defense to the crime charged, an escapee must first offer evidence justifying his continued absence from custody as well as his initial departure." United States v. The fourth element should be used only in cases of prison escape. If you find that each of these things has been proved by a preponderance of the evidence, you must find the defendant not guilty. the defendant had no reasonable opportunity to escape the threatened harm the defendant had a well-grounded fear that the threat of death or serious bodily injury would be carried out ģ. there was a present, immediate, or impending threat of death or serious bodily injury to if the defendant did not the crime Ģ. Ī defendant acts under only if at the time of the crime charged:ġ. This is a lesser burden of proof than the government’s burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt each element of. A preponderance of the evidence means that you must be persuaded that the things the defendant seeks to prove are more probably true than not true. The defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence. The defendant contends acted under at the time of the crime charged. 6.5 DURESS, COERCION OR COMPULSION (LEGAL EXCUSE)
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