2022 Colorado Code
Title 18 - Criminal Code
Article 3 - Offenses Against the Person
Part 2 - Assaults
§ 18-3-207. Criminal Extortion - Aggravated Extortion

Universal Citation:
CO Code § 18-3-207 (2022)
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.
  1. A person commits criminal extortion if:
    1. The person, without legal authority and with the intent to induce another person against that other person's will to perform an act or to refrain from performing a lawful act, makes a substantial threat to confine or restrain, cause economic hardship or bodily injury to, or damage the property or reputation of, the threatened person or another person; and
    2. The person threatens to cause the results described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) by:
      1. Performing or causing an unlawful act to be performed; or
      2. Invoking action by a third party, including, but not limited to, the state or any of its political subdivisions, whose interests are not substantially related to the interests pursued by the person making the threat.

    (1.5) A person commits criminal extortion if the person, with the intent to induce another person against that other person's will to give the person money or another item of value, or with the intent to induce another person against that other person's will to perform an act or to refrain from performing a lawful act, threatens to report to law enforcement officials the immigration status of the threatened person or another person.

  2. A person commits aggravated criminal extortion if, in addition to the acts described in subsection (1) of this section, the person threatens to cause the results described in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section by means of chemical, biological, or harmful radioactive agents, weapons, or poison.
  3. For the purposes of this section, "substantial threat" means a threat that is reasonably likely to induce a belief that the threat will be carried out and is one that threatens that significant confinement, restraint, injury, or damage will occur.
  4. Criminal extortion, as described in subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section, is a class 4 felony. Aggravated criminal extortion, as described in subsection (2) of this section, is a class 3 felony.

Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 421, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-3-207. L. 75: Entire section amended, p. 618, § 8, effective July 21. L. 81: Entire section amended, p. 981, § 4, effective May 13; entire section amended, p. 974, § 8, effective July 1. L. 82: (2) amended, p. 623, § 17, effective April 2. L. 94: Entire section R&RE, p. 1619, § 1, effective May 31. L. 2006, 1st Ex. Sess.: (1.5) added and (4) amended, p. 11, § 1, effective July 31. L. 2021: (1.5) amended, (HB 21-1057), ch. 158, p. 903, § 1, effective July 1.

Editor's note:
  1. Amendments to this section by House Bill 81-1167 and Senate Bill 81-183 were harmonized.
  2. Section 2 of chapter 158 (HB 21-1057), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2021.
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