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Simple English definitions for legal terms
entrapment
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A quick definition of entrapment:
Entrapment: When a police officer or government agent convinces someone to commit a crime they wouldn't have done otherwise, and then arrests them for it. This is a defense that the person can use in court to argue that they were tricked into committing the crime. Each state has its own rules about when this defense can be used, and it depends on whether the person was likely to commit the crime on their own or if they were only convinced to do it by the government agent.
A more thorough explanation:
Entrapment is a legal defense that a defendant can use when they are accused of a crime. It means that the defendant claims that a law enforcement agent or someone working for the government convinced them to commit the crime. The defendant argues that they would not have committed the crime if they had not been encouraged to do so.
For example, imagine that a police officer asks someone to buy drugs for them. The person agrees, but only because they feel pressured by the officer. Later, the person is arrested for drug possession. They could use the defense of entrapment, arguing that they would not have bought the drugs if the officer had not asked them to.
Not every situation where a government agent encourages someone to commit a crime is considered entrapment. The defendant must also show that they did not have a history of committing similar crimes and that the government's encouragement was the reason they committed the crime.