California legal term
Duress in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “Duress” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “Duress” mean in California criminal law?
“Duress” includes a direct or implied threat of force, violence, danger, hardship, or retribution sufficient to cause a reasonable person to acquiesce in or perform an act which the person would otherwise not have submitted to or performed; a direct or implied threat to destroy, conceal, remove, confiscate, or possess an actual or purported passport or immigration document of the victim; or knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing an actual or purported passport or immigration document of the victim. (Cal. Penal Code § 236.1)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.