What is entrapment and its punishment according to CA laws

Thousands of people are arrested every year as a result of police sting operations. These operations can ruin the lives of individuals who commit crimes where there is no identifiable victim. In many situations, they can seem inherently unfair. But these men and women can sometimes detect entrapment as a feature of those sting operations. A defendant knowing what is an example of entrapment can undue a criminal case and lead to potential punishment for law enforcement officials as well.

What is entrapment?

Entrapment meaning is the illegal act of pushing a person to commit a crime that they would not otherwise have committed. There is somewhat of a fine line between legitimate police work through sting operations and entrapment meaning. Police officers and detectives have to be careful to ensure that they are not creating a new situation for a crime that a person would not have otherwise engaged in. They must know what is legally considered entrapment in order to launch a successful sting operation.
The question of what is an example of entrapment is an ethically fraught one. For instance, a drug sting operation is valid when a person attempts to sell drugs to a buyer who is in fact an undercover agent. But if a person walking down the street is accosted by an undercover officer, pushed into an alley, and given an hour-long talk about how wonderful buying drugs would be and then buys said drugs, that act would be entrapment and the “crime” would be dismissed in most courts.

What is its punishment?

There are a number of potential punishments for anyone convicted of entrapment. It is considered a serious offense in law enforcement departments. People convicted of this crime may be sentenced to jail time or hefty fines. They may easily be fired from the police force along with any other parties that may be responsible. The main reason for this harsh treatment is the strong possibility that any case with evidence gleaned from entrapment will be thrown out by a judge. This edict may spread to a number of other cases and may lead to otherwise guilty criminals being set free. It is an act that questions the validity of the justice system and causes people to be suspicious of otherwise solid police investigations.

What to do?

A person who believes they are the victim of entrapment needs to mount a strong case. Entrapment cases are inherently subjective and thus are enormously difficult to prove in a court of law. The first step of that case is to secure release from jail through the bond process. They need to post bail or otherwise be released prior to their trial date. This release will help ensure that they are at home and can prepare their case away from a jail cell.
Next, he must know what is legally considered entrapment and interesting attorney facts. They need to hire the help of an attorney who specializes in entrapment and sting cases. They need to be honest and forthright with their attorney about what happened and what exactly they said and did. They also need to scour their belongings in order to find the slightest hint of evidence that may point to entrapment. Specifically, they need to show that a police officer or detective made them do something illegal that they would not have otherwise done. An experienced attorney can poke holes in a case and find a wide variety of breakdowns in evidence or testimony.

Conclusion

Entrapment as a defense in a criminal case occurs occasionally with even the most professional California sting operations. But cases of entrapment and elder law explained as a defense in a criminal case will not often be flagged by ombudsmen or internal affairs analysts. Instead, the potential victims will have to be vigilant and aware of the law surrounding their arrest. They must work with their attorneys and flag any possible acts of entrapment. A potential defense revolving around entrapment may be the only defense that actually wins a case for a defendant. Therefore, California sting operation victims need to know the law if they hope to protect themselves in the future.