What is entrapment in criminal defense law?

In criminal defense law in Massachusetts, entrapment is a legal defense that a defendant can raise in order to prove that they were induced into committing a crime that they otherwise would not have committed. Entrapment typically involves a law enforcement officer or an individual acting on behalf of the police who induces a person into violating the law by providing a means for the crime to occur, or by intimidating or physically forcing the person into committing the crime. The main element of entrapment is the intent of the police or other law enforcement agent to get the suspect to commit a crime. The actions of the law enforcement agent must be coercive or deceptive for entrapment to exist. Examples of entrapment may include a law enforcement officer offering a suspect a large sum of money to commit a crime or creating an opportunity for a suspect to commit a crime when the suspect would not have done so without the officer’s help. If a defendant successfully proves that entrapment was used as part of their defense, then the court will dismiss the charges against the defendant. Entrapment is a difficult defense to prove in the court system, since it relies on proving that the law enforcement agent had the intent to get the defendant to commit a crime.

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What is entrapment in criminal defense law?

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