{"data":{"id":"us/18-u.s.c.-28","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"18 U.S.C. § 28","heading":"Human trafficking defense","body":"(a) Definitions.—In this section—(1) the term “covered Federal offense” means a level A offense or level B offense, as those terms are defined in section 3771A; and (2) the term “victim of trafficking” has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). (b) Duress.—In a prosecution for a covered Federal offense, a defendant may establish duress by demonstrating that the defendant was a victim of trafficking at the time at which the defendant committed the offense. (c) Record or Proceeding Under Seal.—In any proceeding in which a defense under subsection (b) is raised, any record or part of the proceeding related to the defense shall, on motion, be placed under seal until such time as a conviction is entered for the offense. (d) Post-Conviction Relief.—A failure to assert, or failed assertion of, a defense under subsection (b) by an individual who is convicted of a covered Federal offense may not preclude the individual from asserting as a mitigating factor, at sentencing or in a proceeding for any post-conviction relief, that at the time of the commission of the offense, the defendant was a victim of trafficking and committed the offense under duress. (e) Federal Aid.—A failure to assert, or failed assertion of, a defense under subsection (b) by an individual who is convicted of a covered Federal offense may not be used for the purpose of disqualifying the individual from participating in any federally funded program that aids victims of trafficking.","path":["Title 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE","CHAPTER 1—GENERAL PROVISIONS"],"source_url":"https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/103/xml_usc18@119-103.zip","current_through":"Public Law 119-103 (09/02/2026)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-10T05:56:53Z","sha256":"6e11aefa7b3b17f5b3cf65d6ca27ea31390cdb8dfa6c69ce203c83c20f9f274a","source_id":"us","stale":false,"prev":"us/18-u.s.c.-27","next":"us/18-u.s.c.-31"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}