Legal Definitions - objective entrapment

Objective entrapment is a legal term that refers to a situation where a law enforcement officer or government agent induces a person to commit a crime through fraud or undue persuasion, with the intention of later prosecuting them for that crime.

For example, if an undercover police officer convinces someone to sell drugs to them, even though that person had no intention of doing so before the officer approached them, this could be considered objective entrapment.

In order to prove objective entrapment, the defendant must show that they would not have committed the crime if it weren't for the actions of the law enforcement officer or government agent.

It's important to note that not all forms of entrapment are considered illegal. Entrapment is only illegal if the government agent's conduct is deemed egregious or if the defendant was induced to commit a more serious offense than they were predisposed to commit.

For example, if a person is already predisposed to commit a lesser offense, such as selling a small amount of drugs, but is induced by a law enforcement officer to sell a larger amount that carries a more severe sentence, this could be considered sentencing entrapment.

Overall, objective entrapment is a complex legal concept that involves the actions of law enforcement officers and government agents, and whether or not their conduct was legal or illegal in inducing someone to commit a crime.