Home > For Everyone > Criminal Law > {More Criminal Law Topics} > Types of Crimes > Violent Crimes > Hawaii Revised Statutes 707-769 - Defenses to extortion

Violent Crimes

For this topic:

Go back to the topic homeTopic Home
Join the forum for this topicForum
Sign up for Email related to this topicEmail
RSS feed for this topicRSS
FeedbackFeedback

Search the Hawaii Revised Statutes

Hawaii Revised Statutes 707-769 - Defenses to extortion

Hawaii Revised Statutes > Division 5 > Title 37 > Chapter 707 > Part VII > § 707-769 - Defenses to extortion

^{Current as of: 2010}

^{Check for updates}

(1) It is a defense to a prosecution for extortion as defined by paragraph (1) of section 707-764 that the defendant:

(a) Was unaware that the property or service was that of another; or

(b) Believed that the defendant was entitled to the property or services under a claim or right or that the defendant was authorized, by the owner or by law, to obtain or exert control as the defendant did.

(2) If the owner of the property is the defendant's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, it is a defense to a prosecution for extortion under paragraph (1) of section 707-764 that:

(a) The property which is obtained or over which unauthorized control is exerted constitutes household belongings; and

(b) The defendant and the defendant's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary were living together at the time of the conduct.

(3) "Household belongings" means furniture, personal effects, vehicles, or money or its equivalent in amounts customarily used for household purposes, and other property usually found in and about the common dwelling and accessible to its occupants.

(4) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for extortion as defined in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 707-764 and as further defined by subparagraphs (e), (f), (g), and (i), that the defendant believed the threatened accusation, penal charge, or exposure to be true, or the proposed action of a public servant was justified, and that the defendant's sole intention was to compel or induce the victim to give property or services to the defendant due the defendant as restitution or indemnification for harm done, or as compensation for property obtained or lawful services performed, or to induce the victim to take reasonable action to prevent or to remedy the wrong which was the subject of the threatened accusation, charge, exposure, or action of a public servant in circumstances to which the threat relates.

(5) In a prosecution for extortion as defined in paragraph (1) of section 707-764, it is not a defense that the defendant has an interest in the property if the owner has an interest in the property to which the defendant is not entitled.