An Overview of Intimidation Under Illinois Criminal Law
Threatening someone might not seem like a serious crime. However, Illinois criminal laws classify some threats as intimidation, which attracts grave repercussions. Below is a brief overview of intimidation in the state.
The Crime
Intimidation arises if one person threatens someone with harm or bodily violence if they act or fail to act in a certain way. Intimidation charges apply whether the threat is direct or indirect. The charges also apply even if the perpetrator doesn’t follow through with the threat.
An example of a direct threat is a restaurant owner threatening a rival with false accusations if the rival doesn’t stop business operations. An example of an indirect threat is if the restaurant owner sends a third party, say a gang member, to threaten the rival on their behalf.