Any form of extortion is a crime in California punishable under law.
As extortion circumstances are often grey rather than black and white, it is often taken advantage of, and people are wrongfully accused of extortion. Sometimes, an angry spouse or frustrated coworker will allege extortion charges on the defendant just to defame them or take revenge from them. We are here to help the people stuck with the extortion charges throughout the day and night. With our experience and knowledge in the courtroom, we can get the best outcome of your case. We understand that extortion cases vary from case to case and therefore, we investigate them thoroughly and individually to find out the most suitable defense.
Extortion or blackmailing is the act of getting the property, personal favors or money from someone with his or her consent by threatening them or by inciting fear in them. It is strictly prohibited in California and can land you in jail if you do not have any strong or believable defense against you. The Penal code statute 518 addresses the problem of extortion in the state and criminalizes obtaining property or any important thing from another person with his or her consent by threatening them or making them fear. It is also a criminal act to obtain official favors or consideration from a public officer under the pretense of official right.
For example, a manager catches her subordinate stealing valuable information from the office. Instead of reporting the act to senior management, the manager asks the subordinate to give sexual favors to him. Even though the subordinate was found stealing, the manager can still be charged for embezzlement as he did not report it and instead used it for personal gains. A person takes objectionable pictures of a man and asks for a significant amount in return for keeping these pictures secret. Otherwise, he would show it to the man’s wife; the person will be charged with extortion. Things such as threatening to cause unlawful injury to another person, or leaking a secret that person knows about the other person also qualify as threats or fear.
If you are facing extortion charges, you must find out the available defenses now. Our phone lines are open 24/7, and you can talk to a credible defense attorney at any time of the day. You can even request a call back through contact us form. Let us help you in your extortion case by getting the facts straight in the courtroom.