n. in criminal law, the act of law enforcement officers or government agents to induce or encourage a person to commit a crime when the potential criminal expresses a desire not to go ahead. The more important determination is whether the official planted the criminal idea in the mind of the accused or whether the idea was already there. Entrapment Law and Legal Definition In criminal law, a person is 'entrapped' when he is induced or persuaded by law enforcement officers or their agents to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit. If the crime was promoted by a private person who has no connection to the government, it is not entrapment. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Entrapment is a defense that's commonly used in criminal cases, but not every defendant can claim entrapment. Entrapment The act of government agents or officials that induces a person to commit a crime he or she is not previously disposed to commit. Justia - California Criminal Jury Instructions (CALCRIM) (2020) 3408. https://www.britannica.com/topic/entrapment-law. In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Entrapment : Deliberately trapping a person into committing a crime in order to secure his conviction, as by offering to buy drugs. When an officer supplies an accused with a tool or a means necessary to commit the crime, the defense is not automatically established. California (objective standard state): Entrapment is a defense if conduct by law enforcement agents that would likely induce a normally law-abiding person to commit a crime induced the defendant to commit a charged crime. Entrapment is proved by a preponderance of the evidence, which is a lower burden than reasonable doubt. The rationale underlying the defense is to deter law enforcement officers from engaging in reprehensible conduct by inducing persons not disposed to commit crimes to engage in criminal activity. Entrapment explained. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Entrapment does not include situations in which the officer has not instigated the offense but merely provided the opportunity or occasion for its commission. The defense of entrapment frequently arises when crimes are committed against willing victims. Usually, a predisposition is found if a defendant was previously involved in criminal conduct similar to the crime with which he or she is charged. Entrapment. The accused often claims entrapment in so-called "stings" in which undercover agents buy or sell narcotics, prostitutes' services, or arrange to purchase goods believed to be stolen. It is likely to be asserted to counter such charges as illegal sales of liquor or narcotics, Bribery, Sex Offenses, and gambling. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Legal definition for ENTRAPMENT: When a defendant claims to have been induced into breaking the law due to actions by law enforcement officers or their agents for … Entrapment Definition: The inducement, by law enforcement officers or their agents, of another person to commit a crime for the purposes of bringing charges for the commission of that artificially-provoked crime. Although this factor may be considered as evidence of entrapment, it is not conclusive. Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or agent of the state induces a person to commit a "crime" that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit. Derivative entrapment is a defense that is available in some circuits when the government instructs an unsuspecting middleman or a private person to improperly induce an individual to commit a crime. A person induced by a friend to sell drugs has no legal excuse when police are informed that the person has agreed to make the sale. Full Definition of Entrapment Giving a person the opportunity to commit a crime, with a view to securing a conviction. Entrapment, if proved, is a defense to a criminal prosecution. Medical Definition of entrapment : chronic compression of a peripheral nerve (as the median nerve or ulnar nerve) usually between ligamentous and bony surfaces that is characterized especially by pain, … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In their efforts to obtain evidence and combat crime, however, officers are permitted to use some deception. a state of being entrapped. act of a law enforcement official luring a person into committing a crime Entrapment is not a constitutionally required defense, and, consequently, not all states are bound to provide it as a defense in their criminal codes. The act of government agents or officials that induces a person to commit a crime he or she is not previously disposed to commit. Entrapment definition: Entrapment is the practice of arresting someone by using unfair or illegal methods. Entrapment occurs when a government agent persuades or influences you to commit a crime that you otherwise would not have committed. Exemplos: la mesa, una tabla. The defendant has the burden of proving entrapment by a preponderance of the evidence. This is because the act of entrapment does not take away the intent to commit a guilty act from the accused. 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