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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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to you." That would be extortion.

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