BlackmailvsExtortion

Hello, Business Law distance learning
students. Two concepts that often get

confused are the concepts of blackmail
and extortion. Now, in the state of Texas,

blackmail is this idea that, uh, an
individual by coercion influences or

attempts to influence a public servant
in a specific exercise of the public

servant's official powers, trying to get
that politician or judge to do something

where they, you know, have the power
to-to do that. Um, and by this specific

performance of their official power, um,
they violate the public servant's known

duty. So, if an individual has
compromising pictures of, say, a politician

or a judge, and says, "Hey, politician,
vote for my bill or I'll release these

pictures of you," or "Judge, rule in my
favor or I'll release these pictures

of you," that would be blackmail.
Uh, the individual that has the bad

pictures, they can release those pictures
if they-if they want to, but they just

can't ask for something in return that
would be a, uh, cause that public servant

to violate their-their duty. On the other
hand, extortion is this concept that

an individual who is a public servant,
you know, let's say somebody that works

for the city, makes some sort of, uh, illegal
demand on a citizen. So, if you've applied

for a permit, maybe you've gone through
the process and you're entitled to that

permit, then the permit reviewer or
inspector has to issue the permit to you.

They can't say, "Hey, I also need $100
in my pocket before I'll issue this permit

to you." That would be extortion.

Give me a call or send me an email
if you have questions.