(1) A person commits criminal extortion if:
(a) 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
(b) The person threatens to cause the results described in paragraph (a) of
this subsection (1) by:
(I) Performing or causing an unlawful act to be performed; or
(II) 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.
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.
Amendments to this section by House Bill 81-1167 and Senate Bill 81-183 were harmonized.