Washington legal term
Coercion in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Coercion” 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 Washington criminal code.
What does “Coercion” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Coercion" includes, but is not limited to, the following circumstances: (i) Using or threatening to use physical force against any person; (ii) Restraining, isolating, or confining or threatening to restrain, isolate, or confine any person without lawful authority and against their will; (iii) Using lending or other credit methods to establish a debt by any person when labor or services are pledged as a security for the debt, constituting debt bondage, if the value of the labor or services are pledged as a security for the debt, the value of the labor or services as reasonably assessed is not (RCW 9A.40.100)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.