Entrapment involves what scenario?

• A. Inducing someone to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed, typically by government agents acting coercively.
• B. Providing legal advice to commit a crime.
• C. A form of self-defense.
• D. A type of civil remedy.

Answer: (A)

Entrapment occurs when authorities induce or pressure someone into committing a crime they would not have otherwise committed. The key idea is government influence—undercover officers, informants, or coercive tactics—that creates the opportunity and persuades the person to offend. If the person would have committed the crime anyway, entrapment isn’t present; the defense hinges on lack of predisposition and improper inducement by agents of the state.

This distinguishes entrapment from merely aiding or encouraging wrongdoing, which involves the person’s own decision to commit the crime with a preexisting predisposition. It also isn’t about self-defense or civil remedies, which address different legal concepts entirely.