T.P.I. -- CRIM. 11.04

EXTORTION

            Any person who commits the offense of extortion is guilty of a crime.

            For you to find the defendant guilty of this offense, the state must have proven beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of the following essential elements:¹

[Part A:

                 (1)  that the defendant intended to obtain [property] [services] [any

                         advantage] [immunity] from another person;

and

                 (2)  that the defendant did so by the use of coercion.]

or

[Part B:

                 (1)  that the defendant intended to unlawfully restrict another's freedom of

                         action;

and

                 (2)  that the defendant did so by the use of coercion.]

            "Intent" means that a person acts intentionally with respect to the nature of the conduct or to a result of the conduct when it is the person's conscious objective or desire to engage in the conduct or cause the result.²

                 "Obtain" means to:

                 [(i)  Bring about a transfer or purported transfer of property or of a legally

                        recognized interest therein, whether to the defendant or another;]

or

                 [(ii) Secure the performance of service].³

                 "Property" means anything of value, including but not limited to [money] [real estate] [tangible or intangible personal property (including anything severed from land)] [library material] [contract rights] [chose-in-action] [interest in or claim to wealth] [credit] [admission or transportation tickets] [captured or domestic animals] [food and drink] [electric or other power].⁴

                 "Services" includes [labor] [skill] [professional service] [transportation] [telephone] [mail] [gas] [electricity] [steam] [water] [cable television] [other public services] [accommodations in hotels] [restaurants or elsewhere] [admissions to exhibitions] [use of vehicles or other movable property].⁵

                 "Immunity" means freedom from duty or penalty.⁶

                 "Coercion" means a threat, however communicated, to:

                 [(A)  Commit any offense;] or

                 [(B)  Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense;] or

                 [(C)  Expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule;] or

                 [(D)  Harm the credit or business repute of any person;] or

                 [(E)  Take or withhold action as a public servant or cause a public servant

                           to take or withhold action].⁷

                 "Unlawfully" means contrary to law or unauthorized by law; disobeying or disregarding the law.⁸

FOOTNOTES

 1.   Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-112(a).

 2.   Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(18).

 3.   Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(24)(A).  "Obtain" includes, but is not limited

       to, the taking, carrying away or the sale, conveyance or transfer of title to or

       interest in or possession of property, and includes, but is not limited to,

       conduct heretofore known as larceny, larceny by trick, larceny by

       conversion, embezzlement, extortion or obtaining property by false

       pretenses.  Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(24)(B).

  4.  Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(28).

  5.  Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(34).

  6.  Black's Law Dictionary  (5th Ed. 1979).

  7.  Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-106(a)(3).

  8.  Black's Law Dictionary (5th Ed. 1979).

COMMENTS

                 1.  Extortion is a Class D felony.  Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-112(c).

                 2.  Claim of [appropriate restitution] [appropriate indemnification] [appropriate compensation] may be asserted as an affirmative defense to this offense, under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-112(b)(1) or (2).  If properly raised as an affirmative defense, the trial judge should utilize T.P.I. -- CRIM. 40.14 (Affirmative defense: claim of restitution, indemnification or compensation) which appears in the "Defenses" chapter.