Section 509.080 - Criminal coercion(1) A person is guilty of criminal coercion when with intent to compel another person to engage in or refrain from conduct, he unlawfully threatens to: (b) Accuse anyone of a crime; or(c) Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule or to impair another's credit or business repute; or(d) Take or withhold action as an official or cause an official to take or withhold action.(2) A defendant may prove in exculpation of criminal coercion committed under subsection (1)(b), (c) or (d) that he believed the accusation or secret to be true or the proposed official action justified and that his sole purpose was to compel or induce the victim to desist from misbehavior or to make good a wrong done by him.(3) Criminal coercion is a Class A misdemeanor.Effective:1/1/1975
Amended 1976 Ky. Acts ch. 183, sec. 2. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 80, effective1/1/1975.