Placing the Blame

I’m just a plainspoken Colorado criminal defense lawyer, but the way I see it…

“God made me do it.”

That’s never been an especially successful criminal defense in the courts I’ve practiced in. Tell you the truth, I’ve never even considered trying that one on. It might work in Texas, where lots of defendants claim that, and folks even blame God for Ted Cruz.

So it was with a fair degree of surprise when I heard that defense raised in my own state. It’s a civil case, but has the potential of becoming a criminal case as well. The Securities Commissioner for the State of Colorado has accused an online-only pastor of not only shepherding his flock, but also fleecing them, of more than three million dollars. That’s how much he sold in cryptocurrency the Commissioner claims was worthless.

Don’t ask me how hundreds of people invested their money with a guy who doesn’t even own a real pulpit, but evangelical Christians put a lot of faith in, well, faith.

The pastor had told his flock that “the Lord brought this cryptocurrency to me. He said ‘Take this to my people for a wealth transfer.’”

Me, I’m pretty sure God doesn’t talk like that.

After the Commissioner filed the complaint in the Denver County district court, the pastor walked his story back a little bit, saying it’s possible “I misheard God.”

Now, I know God mumbles — she’s mumbled a few things to me I could never figure out — so it’s possible he misunderstood part of the conversation. But he says he even argued with God.

“Lord,” he said, “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t have any experience in this industry. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t want to be caught up in something.”

Thereby setting up another defense, one that may never have been tried before in any court.

Entrapment.

Entrapment by God.