LA § 6:13 Justification–Compulsion

State: Jury Instruction Number:

Louisiana Criminal Jury Instructions (2017)
§ 6:13 Justification–Compulsion

The defendant’s conduct, otherwise criminal, is justified if the offense charged was committed through the compulsion of threats by another of death or great bodily harm and the defendant reasonably believed the person making the threat was present and would carry out the threats immediately, if the defendant did not commit the crime.

Thus, if you find:

(1) that the defendant committed the offense charged because he was compelled by threats of death or great bodily harm;
(2) that the defendant reasonably believed the person making the threat[s] was present and would carry out the threats immediately if the defendant did not commit the crime; then you must find the defendant not guilty.

Updated: 7/12/2017