Which scenario constitutes entrapment?

Which scenario constitutes entrapment?

• A. A private citizen entices someone to commit a crime.
• B. The defendant acts on their own initiative with no government involvement.
• C. A public servant actively induces the defendant to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed.
• D. The crime is committed spontaneously without inducement by a public servant.

Answer: (C)

Entrapment happens when a government agent uses persuasion or pressure to cause someone to commit a crime they wouldn’t have otherwise committed. In this scenario, a public servant actively induces the defendant to commit a crime they would not have otherwise pursued, which is the classic setup for entrapment. The other situations lack government involvement or inducement: a private citizen enticing someone, the defendant acting on their own initiative, or a crime committed spontaneously without any inducement by a public servant. The decisive factor is the government’s role in producing the criminal act rather than the person’s own intent.

Entrapment happens when a government agent uses persuasion or pressure to cause someone to commit a crime they wouldn’t have otherwise committed. In this scenario, a public servant actively induces the defendant to commit a crime they would not have otherwise pursued, which is the classic setup for entrapment. The other situations lack government involvement or inducement: a private citizen enticing someone, the defendant acting on their own initiative, or a crime committed spontaneously without any inducement by a public servant. The decisive factor is the government’s role in producing the criminal act rather than the person’s own intent.