Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Sentencing entrapment is when a person is tricked or persuaded by the government to commit a more serious crime than they intended to, resulting in a harsher sentence. This is not fair because the person may not have committed the more serious crime if they were not influenced by the government. It is like a trap set by the government to catch people doing bad things, but sometimes they go too far and make people do worse things than they would have done on their own.
Sentencing entrapment is a type of entrapment where a defendant is induced to commit a more serious offense than they were originally predisposed to, resulting in a harsher sentence. This is also known as sentence-factor manipulation.
For example, if a person is caught selling a small amount of drugs, but the police pressure them into selling a larger amount, they may be guilty of sentencing entrapment. The person may have been willing to sell a small amount, but they were not predisposed to selling a large amount, and the harsher sentence they receive is a result of the police's actions.
Another example could be if a person is caught stealing a small item, but the police pressure them into stealing a more expensive item. The person may have been willing to steal the small item, but they were not predisposed to stealing the more expensive item, and the harsher sentence they receive is a result of the police's actions.
These examples illustrate how sentencing entrapment can result in a defendant receiving a harsher sentence than they would have otherwise received if they had not been induced to commit a more serious offense.