In June 1997, Matt decided to rob a store and asked Jeff to be his driver. Knowing that Matt had served time in prison on two-armed robbery convictions, and too afraid of Matt to refuse, Jeff drove Matt to a liquor store in Queens County. While Jeff waited in his car, Matt entered the store. With his hand in his pocket, Matt told Roy, the owner, to empty the cash register or Matt would "blow his head off." Roy, reasonably believing that Matt had a gun, did as he was told. After taking the cash, Matt got back into Jeff's car. As they drove away, Roy copied down Jeff's license plate number and immediately called the police. Jeff was charged with accessory after the fact.

Question:

1. What is the duress defense?

2. Does Jeff have grounds for a duress defense? Why or why not? Explain.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Answer 1 The duress defense is a legal defense that may be raised when a person commits a crime unde... View the full answer