What is the Defense of Duress?
From time to time, we received calls asking questions about the defense of duress. In Indiana, duress is an affirmative defense defined by statute. An affirmative defense provides a legal justification for one’s actions. A successful defense of duress establishes a lack of criminal culpability for otherwise criminal acts. The fact that the criminal act occurred is conceded, but the argument is that there was a justifiable reason why the defendant committed the act. This…