California legal term
threat of force in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “threat of force” 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 “threat of force” mean in California criminal law?
“threat of force” means a credible threat of unlawful injury to any person or damage to the property of another which is communicated to a person for the purpose of inducing him to give false testimony or withhold true testimony or to give false material information pertaining to a crime to, or to withhold true material information pertaining to a crime from, a law enforcement official. (Cal. Penal Code § 137)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.