Bribery is an offense defined by giving, offering, receiving or soliciting something of value in order to influence the action of an official or individual who is responsible for performing public or legal duties. Bribery is a serious crime that only serves to undermine the legal process or civil activities. When someone offers a bribe, it is assumed that the offer is made for a corrupt purpose. In order to confirm that a bride has been made, several items must be checked.
One of the main indicators that helps prove the crime of bribery is intent. When people speak of corrupt intent, they’re speaking of the intent to receive some sort of positive benefit from the bribe.
With some statutes, simply the attempt to commit bribery is also a crime. This means that as long as a bribe has been offered or promised with the intent to specifically influence an act or decision, the action is considered a bribe and a crime has been committed.
Another way that a bribe can be proven is that the bribe being offered must revolve around something of value used to affect the decisions or actions of an individual. This means that in order for something to be considered a bribe, it needs to be something that is of value to the person receiving it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be money. It could also refer to items that are of value to only to the specific recipient. This could include getting a child into a specific school or getting membership for the recipient into a specific club.
People who are dealing with bribery lawsuits or accusations may benefit by working with criminal defense attorneys with experience in these types of cases. These attorneys may be able to help defendants understand the complex interpretations of what bribery is and work to protect the rights of the accused.
