What does the defense of entrapment involve?

Asked by: Vance Bradtke  |  Last update: July 30, 2025
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The Criminal Defense of Entrapment Entrapment is a defense to criminal charges on the basis that the defendant only committed the crime because of harassment or coercion by a government official. Without such coercion, the crime would never have been committed.

What does the defense of entrapment require?

A valid entrapment defense has two related elements: (1) government inducement of the crime, and (2) the defendant's lack of predisposition to engage in the criminal conduct.

What are the two major approaches to the entrapment defense?

California law recognizes two types of entrapment: subjective entrapment and objective entrapment.

What is the process of entrapment?

Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or an agent of the state induces a person to commit a crime that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit.

What are the two tests of entrapment?

Historically, the two primary criteria for determining police entrapment have been termed the 'subjective' standard, which focuses upon the predisposition of defendants to commit the crimes with which they are charged, and the 'objective' standard, which ignores the defendant's predisposition to commit the crime and ...

The Defense of Entrapment

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How can the defense of entrapment be raised?

To raise the defense of entrapment, you will have to show that (1) you were induced or encouraged to engage in a conduct that constituted a crime, (2) you engaged in such conduct as the direct result of such inducement or encouragement, and (3) the person who induced or encouraged you was a law enforcement officer or ...

What are the things that represent entrapment?

However, in general, entrapment means:
  • Persuading or pressuring someone to commit a crime they wouldn't have done on their own.
  • Creating an opportunity for criminal activity and then encouraging or facilitating it.
  • Using deceit, coercion, or manipulation to convince someone to engage in illegal behavior.

Is entrapment hard to prove?

The burden of proving the Entrapment defense is placed on the Defendant and can be a difficult thing to prove. As such, it is crucial to have the assistance of an effective Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney when proceeding on this defense.

What are common examples of entrapment?

The most common crimes where the defense of entrapment is used include drug crimes, prostitution, conspiracy crimes, traffic offenses, sending harmful matter to an underage person, and illegal gaming and gambling. The defense of entrapment may apply to infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies in California.

What is the method of entrapment?

In entrapment an active species, which is often a catalyst, is trapped within a material by a solid or gel forming event; thus, it becomes dispersed within the solid or semi-solid matrix. Entrapment methods can be used to immobilize isolated enzymes and render them more stable, and easier to separate and recycle.

What circumstances negate the entrapment defense?

Entrapment will not serve as a defense if the officer merely offers you the opportunity to participate in an illegal activity. The courts believe that reasonable people presented with a simple opportunity to commit a crime will resist the temptation to do so.

What are the techniques of entrapment?

Common entrapment techniques include persuasion, threats, harassment, and fraud. The opportunity to commit a crime does not constitute entrapment. While it may seem easy to identify entrapment, the reality is, it's not that simple.

What is the only direct evidence of a state of mind?

Intent is a notoriously difficult element to prove because it is locked inside the defendant's mind. Ordinarily, the only direct evidence of intent is a defendant's confession, which the government cannot forcibly obtain because of the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.

Are entrapment defenses successful?

Entrapment is often used as a defense in undercover sting operations. Still, it's only successful if you can establish that the police acted inappropriately to induce you to commit the crime and did so only because you were lured into it.

Who bears the burden of proof?

In a criminal trial, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The prosecution must convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of the charges brought against them.

When a defense of entrapment is raised, the prosecution must prove?

Once the defense of entrapment is properly raised, the burden of proving the nonexistence of the defense and the predisposition of the defendant rests on the State, and the jury must be so instructed.

What is the key to entrapment defense?

An entrapment defense can be successful only when your defense law firm can create reasonable doubt. Specifically, this means establishing substantial doubt that the accused would have had true intent to commit the alleged crime without the direct or indirect pressure of law enforcement or their agents.

What are signs of entrapment?

Symptoms
  • Localized or referred pain (check local peripheral nerve territories);
  • Numbness, tingling, or "electric shock" feeling;
  • Paresthesia;
  • Burning sensation;
  • Impaired movement of affected body part;
  • Muscle weakness;
  • Muscle wasting;
  • Dry thin skin - chronic cases of motor and sensory nerve entrapment.

Which of the following is not considered entrapment?

There is no entrapment defense when the defendant was merely provided an opportunity to commit a crime and then voluntarily engaged in the criminal act. For entrapment, there must be some sort of intense pressuring, harassment, threats or other inappropriate conduct on the part of the undercover officer or decoy.

Do police get in trouble for entrapment?

Entrapment is illegal under federal law and in most states, including California. It occurs when law enforcement officers or government agents induce or persuade someone to commit a crime they were not previously inclined to commit.

What is not entrapment?

Opportunity is not Entrapment

These are considered “opportunities” for individuals believed to be involved in criminal behavior to commit crimes. An opportunity is considered very different from entrapment and involves merely the temptation to violate the law, not being forced to do so.

What is duress defense?

CALIFORNIA LEGAL DEFENSES: DURESS

Duress is a rarely-used defense that applies in situations in which someone commits a crime only because of an immediate threat to life posed by another. The typical example is committing a criminal act only because there is literally “a gun to your head.”

What is a good example of entrapment?

Entrapment may involve any form of crime, from drug offenses to theft to financial crimes: Example 1: A young man is tried on drug charges after being induced to sell cocaine to an undercover narcotics officer who threatens to have the boy “jumped” by his gang if the defendant does not supply the drugs.

What is mental entrapment?

Psychological entrapment occurs when people continue investing in unfavorable situations after already devoting too much to lose.

What states have entrapment laws?

Boston, Mass., Pages 174 and 175: "The States recognizing entrapment as a defense are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington."