What defense involves a person being misled into committing a crime by law enforcement?

Entrapment is a legal defense that occurs when law enforcement officers induce a person to commit a crime that they would not have otherwise committed. This defense is based on the idea that the police behavior in instigating the crime is so egregious that it violates the principles of justice.

In situations of entrapment, the focus is on the actions of the police rather than the conduct of the accused. If a defendant can show that they were not predisposed to commit the crime and that law enforcement used undue persuasion or deception to convince them to engage in criminal activity, they may successfully argue that they were entrapped.

This defense protects individuals from being unfairly targeted by authorities who may use questionable tactics to secure a conviction. The standards for proving entrapment can vary, but the underlying principle remains the same: it ensures that individuals are not prosecuted for crimes they were coerced into committing through law enforcement manipulation.

In contrast, the other options represent different legal concepts. Compulsion involves being forced to commit a crime through threats of immediate harm. Coercion also refers to being pressured into acting but may not involve an immediate threat of physical harm. Insanity is a mental health defense where the defendant argues that they were unable to understand