Penal Law § 135.65

Coercion in the first degree · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 135.65 Coercion in the first degree.

A person is guilty of coercion in the first degree when he or she commits the crime of coercion in the third degree, and when:

1. He or she commits such crime by instilling in the victim a fear that he or she will cause physical injury to a person or cause damage to property; or

2. He or she thereby compels or induces the victim to:

(a) Commit or attempt to commit a felony; or

(b) Cause or attempt to cause physical injury to a person; or

Coercion in the first degree is a class D felony.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/135.65

In plain English

A person commits first-degree coercion by committing third-degree coercion and:

(1) using fear of physical injury or property damage; or
(2) thereby compelling the victim to commit or attempt a felony, cause or attempt physical injury, or violate a public-servant duty. ★

It is a class D felony.

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.