Reference no: EM131674792

Question: John and Tahir Ramin were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery, among other charges. They were alleged to have bribed Army Major Christopher West to secure a bunkers and barriers contract, which would enable them to provide bunkers and barriers to the airfield that West was responsible for. The defendants were then alleged to have inflated the number of bunkers and barriers that they actually provided to the airfield. In response to the charges, the defendants provided a defense to the bribery charge based on economic duress. The government filed a motion to exclude the evidence related to economic duress, arguing that economic duress was not a valid defense for bribery. Do you think the district court granted the government's motion to exclude evidence? Why or why not?