While crimes involving violence and physical harm are treated seriously in Minnesota, another branch of offenses is often overlooked. White-collar crimes typically don’t involve violence or physicality, but they are a severe matter.
White-collar crime is often viewed as victimless, but this is not the case. These crimes cost over $500 billion on an annual basis. Therefore, if you were found guilty, you could face severe penalties.
Clarifying whether a course of conduct was illegal or not is not always straightforward. The fundamental components the prosecution must show for it to be a crime are dishonesty and an intention to benefit financially. Outlined below are two key defenses that may be applicable when facing white-collar charges.
Can intent be established?
For the most part, a person cannot be prosecuted simply for making an honest mistake. There must be an intention to deceive for profit for a white-collar charge to hold up in court. A person who has simply made an error cannot be held criminally liable until such a time that the prosecution establishes intent.
Was the accused coerced?
Due to the high sums of money involved, a person can sometimes coerce others into acting uncharacteristically. In other words, they may have forced them to commit a crime. If you can establish that someone threatened you to this extent, the courts may acknowledge coercion as an acceptable defense.
It is important to remember that you are innocent until proven guilty. Taking steps to gain a further understanding of the law in this area will be essential to defending yourself from the charge you face.