{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "penal", "section": "155.15", "citation": "Penal Law § 155.15", "heading": "Larceny; defenses", "text": ["§ 155.15 Larceny; defenses.", "1. In any prosecution for larceny committed by trespassory taking or embezzlement, it is an affirmative defense that the property was appropriated under a claim of right made in good faith.", "2. In any prosecution for larceny by extortion committed by instilling in the victim a fear that he or another person would be charged with a crime, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant reasonably believed the threatened charge to be true and that his sole purpose was to compel or induce the victim to take reasonable action to make good the wrong which was the subject of such threatened charge."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/155.15", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "- **(1)** For larceny by trespassory taking or embezzlement, it is an **affirmative defense that the property was taken under a good-faith claim of right**.\n- **(2)** For extortion based on threatening a criminal charge, it is an **affirmative defense that the defendant reasonably believed the charge was true and acted solely to make the victim reasonably correct that wrong**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/penal/155.15", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}