This bill proposes to amend Arizona Revised Statutes section 13-412, which governs the defense of duress in criminal cases. Under current law, the duress defense is unavailable if the individual intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly placed themselves in a situation likely to result in duress, or if the offense involves homicide or serious physical injury. The bill expands the list of offenses for which the duress defense is unavailable by adding specific crimes, including child sex trafficking, failure to report child abuse, child or vulnerable adult abuse, sexual offenses, and the sexual exploitation of children.

The proposed changes include the insertion of new language that clarifies the conditions under which the duress defense is not applicable. Specifically, it introduces a new structure that lists the offenses that would disallow the duress defense, thereby making it clearer and more comprehensive. Additionally, the bill makes technical changes to improve the clarity of the statute, ensuring that the legal language is precise and up-to-date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 13-412