The fact that a public officer expresses his willingness to accept a bribe is no defense;18 nor is it a defense that the bribe was given by the prosecuting witness.19

The thing offered as a bribe must be something of value, otherwise there is no offense. Thus an officer taking a promissory note as a bribe, but which proves to be void, is no offense.20

A public officer by executing a contract for the public in his official capacity in consideration of a bribe, commits the offense although the contract cannot be enforced. If the contract was executed and the public money paid under the influence of a bribe, the offense is complete.21