Many people already know that there is a difference between criminal law and civil law. One aspect of criminal law that would not be apart of a civil court case is something that is known as entrapment. Temple Terrace residents might have never heard of this term before, but they might know what it entails. Entrapment is the practice of a law enforcement officer or agent of the state entices an individual to commit a crime that person would not normally have committed in other circumstances. This is something that is considered illegal, and it may constitute as a viable defense against criminal liability of their actions.

Is Entrapment the Result of a Sting Operation?

Many people falsely assume that entrapment is the result of a law enforcement officials running what is known as a sting operation. A sting is often exempt for police officers or state agents to engage in deception in order to try and catch a suspect who is committing a crime. Although this sounds very simple to entrapment, Temple Terrace residents should understand that these are two very different actions. A sting operation often ends with an individual voluntarily committing a crime and getting caught for it, while entrapment is forcing someone to do something that they know is illegal.

Common Examples of Entrapment

There are some scenarios where entrapment comes up more often than in other cases. When it comes to cases of entrapment, Temple Terrace residents should know this is common for drug related cases. For example, if an undercover cop tries to get someone to sell them drugs by giving a false narrative, this is not entrapment. However, if the undercover cop continually pesters an individual for many days, and they finally give in, this could be ground for entrapment because they kept putting that individual in an illegal scenario, trying to get them caught. Entrapment charges are also common for individuals who are criminal informants and get arrested for doing something illegal as the result of something a cop said, such as a threat.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Butash Law Group*