Is being threatened a defense to committing a crime?
Question Details:Was living with a friend who demanded I help him shoplift paintball goods. If I didn't help I would be kicked out of his house and made homeless, so Iobliged. I don't need this charge on my record and it'd be the first one. Is it to late to tell them i was "bullied" into it?
I would suggest you talk to a Public Defender or a lawyer before talking to the "state's attorney" which in North Carolina is called the District Attorney. You don't want to be making additional statements to a DA without representation.
I am a lawyer in CT and practice in this area of the the law. If you have not already plead to a charge it is not too late to explain what happened. I suggest that you talk to the state's attorney about the situation and explain that you did this due to a threat that would make you homeless. While this is not a good excuse, it does explain that you did something that you otherwise have never done before due to being placed in a difficult situation. I suggest that you explain that this was an isolated occurrence and that you would like to apply for any first time offender program that will not result in you having a criminal record. There are usually programs like this for you to apply for.
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