Hearst was kidnapped by a quasi-revolutionary group, the Symbionese Liberation Army, 16 days before her 20th birthday. In April 1974, she was involved in a robbery of a California bank. The defense conceded the factual transaction of the robbery. It explicitly rejected the insanity defense. Instead, it claimed the legal excuse of duress for the bank robbery and the different defense of psychological coercion for the balance of Hearst's behavior. As a result, the jury faced two logically and psychologically irreconcilable claims to sustain the defense. The theory of duress rested on the concept that a reasonable person making a sound judgment could have a well-grounded apprehension that the perpetration of a noncapital crime would be the only means of escaping the imminent and direct threat of death or serious bodily injury. In contrast, the theory of coercive persuasion required a portrayal of Hearst as having retreated to a fantasy land because her perceptions and sensations had been critically impaired. Excerpts from the expert testimony and footnotes which contain references are provided.