One potential defense to criminal allegations is entrapment. In some cases, this can be a complete defense, meaning that it shows a person is not guilty of the crime they’ve been accused of committing. If used successfully, this can lead to the charges being dropped.
So what is entrapment? Some people confuse it with undercover police work, but the two are very different.
Undercover officers are working legally as they infiltrate criminal organizations and witness illegal activity. But with entrapment, the police officers are causing the person to commit the crime. The criminal activity is the officer’s idea, not just something they see happening. This is illegal because the police would then be creating crime just so that they could arrest those involved.
How could this happen?
To understand the difference, consider someone who is selling illegal drugs. If the police already suspect the person is doing so, they may send an undercover officer to make a purchase. They can then arrest that person for trying to sell drugs to the officer. This is not illegal.
On the other hand, maybe the person has not been selling drugs. The police officer approaches them with illegal substances and a plan to sell those near a local high school. If the person goes along with the officer’s plan, and the officer then arrests them for selling illegal drugs, it is a case of entrapment. The person who has been arrested would never have broken the law if not for the officer’s involvement.
Your defense options
If you feel that you have been victimized by entrapment, you must understand all of the legal defense options you have at this time. It can help to work with an experienced law firm.