Legal Definitions - frame-up

A frame-up refers to a deliberate and deceptive plot or scheme designed to make an innocent person appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing they did not commit. It involves fabricating evidence, manipulating circumstances, or creating false accusations with the specific intent of misleading authorities or others into believing the targeted individual is responsible.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a frame-up:

• Example 1 (Criminal Context): A person with a grudge against their former business partner secretly breaks into the partner's home, steals a valuable antique, and then plants the antique in the garage of an innocent third party who has no connection to the theft. The perpetrator then anonymously tips off the police, hoping the third party will be arrested and charged.

  Explanation: This is a frame-up because the perpetrator intentionally created a false scenario and planted evidence (the stolen antique) to make an innocent individual appear guilty of theft, aiming to mislead law enforcement.

• Example 2 (Workplace Context): An employee, seeking to discredit a colleague and secure a promotion, fabricates a series of emails and documents that falsely suggest the colleague has been misusing company funds for personal expenses. The employee then "discovers" and reports this fabricated evidence to human resources.

  Explanation: This constitutes a frame-up because the employee deliberately manufactured false evidence to make their innocent colleague appear guilty of financial misconduct, with the intent of damaging their reputation and career.

• Example 3 (Personal Vendetta): During a heated neighborhood dispute, one homeowner intentionally damages their own mailbox, then places a distinctive tool belonging to their innocent neighbor at the scene of the damage. They then call the police, accusing the neighbor of vandalism.

  Explanation: This is a frame-up because the homeowner created a false incident and planted evidence (the neighbor's tool) to falsely implicate the innocent neighbor in an act of vandalism they did not commit.