Q: Can a man threaten a woman, with something he has in order to make her do something she does not want to do.
My niece tried meth a few times, realized how far she had let herself go. She contacted her parents for support, has begun counseling, and asked her parents to give her random drug tests(at her cost) to hold her accountable. She is married, her husband has been on marijuana/drugs for a very long time and brings it into the home, they also have 2 older children. She asked him to clean up his drugs also, he refused, thus she is going to file for divorce, she wants herself and the kids out of that environment. He has put a pipe she had used in a zip bag, and for a month now, has been threatening her, in text messages, that he is going to give it to the police and have her arrested unless, "she comes back to him and his bed" or "otherwise I will destroy you." Can he legally continue to threaten her this way and coerce her into coming back to him out of fear that he will take this to the police and have her arrested. She's been drug free for over a month, but she is afraid.
A: His threats are a crime, called extortion. She should keep his texts about this, and tell her divorce lawyer about them, and her drug history. Tell her not to worry about this. Police won't do anything about it.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
