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Simple English definitions for legal terms
objective method
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A quick definition of objective method:
An objective method is a legal defense used by a defendant who claims that an undercover law enforcement officer or someone acting on their behalf encouraged them to commit a crime. The defendant argues that they were convinced that the conduct was not prohibited or that they were persuaded to commit the crime. This defense is only recognized in a few states and by the Model Penal Code. It is also known as the hypothetical-person defense.
A more thorough explanation:
The objective method is a legal defense used in entrapment cases where the defendant claims that an undercover law enforcement officer or someone acting on their behalf encouraged them to commit a crime. This encouragement may have been through false representations or persuasive methods that created a substantial risk of the crime being committed by someone who was not inclined to do so.
For example, if an undercover officer convinces a person to sell drugs by telling them that it is legal or that they will not get caught, the defendant may use the objective method defense to argue that they were encouraged to commit the crime.
This defense is not widely accepted and is only used in a minority of states and by the Model Penal Code.