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Committee advances duress‑defense bill for trafficking survivors to allow jury evidence of coercion
Summary
Senate Bill 10 would create an affirmative defense for people convicted of certain offenses if they can show the conduct was the direct result of force, fraud or coercion by traffickers; the committee heard survivor advocacy and law‑enforcement testimony and voted to report the bill to the full Senate.
The Senate State Affairs Committee reported Senate Bill 10 to the full Senate after a hearing that focused on expanding a duress defense for survivors of human trafficking. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Cedric Parker, said trafficking victims are often prosecuted for crimes they were compelled to commit and that the current legal definition of duress — limited to immediate risk of death or serious bodily injury — does not capture the prolonged psychological and coercive control traffickers use.
Under the version the committee considered, SB 10 would establish an affirmative defense allowing a defendant to present evidence that…
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