Opinion ID: 513484
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusion of Kinslow's Duress Defense.

Text: 7 Kinslow argues that the district court erred in refusing to allow him to present a duress defense to the jury. He contends that the governor of New Mexico had issued a shoot-to-kill order against him after he escaped from prison and that he had no choice but to kidnap the Blades family as insurance against this order. 8 The district court did not err in excluding Kinslow's duress defense. To establish a prima facia case for duress, Kinslow must show that (1) he acted under an immediate and illegal threat of death or serious bodily injury; (2) his fear was well grounded; and (3) there were no other reasonable opportunities to avoid or escape the threatened harm. United States v. Gordon, 526 F.2d 406, 407 (9th Cir.1975). In United States v. Peltier, 693 F.2d 96 (9th Cir.1982), the defendant argued that he was compelled to plan and execute an armed escape from jail because the United States government had arranged to have him killed while he was in prison. Id. at 97-98. We held that the defendant's duress defense was properly excluded because even if his story were true, no imaginable set of circumstances could justify the armed jail break that took place. Id. at 98. We noted that the defendant had other opportunities to avoid the perceived danger, such as advising the warden or the prison counselor of his concerns and requesting safe custody. Id. 9 In this case, Kinslow offered no evidence to show that the governor of New Mexico actually issued a shoot-to-kill order against him. Even if Kinslow's account of the shoot-to-kill order is presumed true, however, Kinslow had other reasonable opportunities to avoid the danger; he could have contacted law enforcement authorities to arrange for a safe surrender. No imaginable set of circumstances could possibly justify kidnapping the Blades family in a neighboring state, some two or three weeks after the governor's alleged order. The district court, therefore, did not commit reversible error in excluding Kinslow's duress defense. 10