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Entrapment

Affirmative defenses for criminal cases can be some of the most effective, and also the most dangerous defenses to raise. Affirmative defenses, including self defense, necessity, or duress, often require the defendant to admit that he or she actually committed a crime. An affirmative defense typically argues that even though a crime was committed, extenuating circumstances legally justified the commission of the offense. Whereas criminal statutes are often vague and overbroad so that police and prosecutors can charge as many people as possible with criminal offenses, our lawmakers have made sure to keep the laws on affirmative defenses as specific as possible to reduce the amount of defendants who are able to assert them. If you are charged with a crime and believe that your actions were justified by an affirmative defense, don’t hesitate to contact a dedicated St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyer to help build your case.

One of the most complex and difficult to establish affirmative defenses is the offense of entrapment. While difficult to utilize at trial due to the specific elements that must be met to bring an entrapment defense, the prevalence of police sting operations has increased the prevalence of potential entrapment cases. Often clients will approach us and claim that they were entrapped by the police, but in reality only a very specific set of circumstances will allow a defendant to pursue a claim of entrapment.

Elements of Entrapment

The affirmative defense of entrapment is written into the law as Florida Statute 777.201. Under the wording of the law, “A law enforcement officer, a person engaged in cooperation with a law enforcement officer, or a person acting as an agent of a law enforcement officer perpetrates an entrapment if, for the purpose of obtaining evidence of the commission of a crime, he or she induces or encourages and, as a direct result, causes another person to engage in conduct constituting such crime by employing methods of persuasion or inducement which create a substantial risk that such crime will be committed by a person other than one who is ready to commit it.” If a defendant proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the police, or someone associated with the police committed entrapment and the crime was committed as a result, the defendant shall be acquitted.

Entrapment defenses can typically be raised in situations where the police or law enforcement are conducting a “sting” operation. A sting operation is one in which the police fabricate crimes in order to make arrests of people that would otherwise have committed a “real” crime. Common examples of sting operations include prostitution stings, where undercover officers will pose as prostitutes to induce defendants to agree to pay for sex. Other times, police will be even more nefarious and complex in their schemes. Police have gone as far as to fabricate elaborate burglary schemes where they give information to potential burglars and induce them to rob vacant hotel rooms with unloaded weapons inside so that they can charge those people with first degree armed burglary. If you have found yourself in a situation where you believe you’ve been entrapped by the police, you should not hesitate to contact a dedicated St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney to analyze your case.

The key to proving an entrapment case is presenting evidence that the defendant was a person who would otherwise have not committed the crime. This element is what makes entrapment defenses so tricky. A skilled attorney may be able to investigate your case and present evidence that you were a person who was not otherwise likely to commit a crime without the undue influence of the police. It is not unusual to see police in sting operations go to great lengths to coerce people into committing crimes.

Speak to Our Lawyers Today

The attorneys at Hanlon Law are committed to building the best defense for your case. If you think that you’ve been the victim of police entrapment, you should not hesitate to contact us immediately for a consultation at 727.289.0222.

Client Reviews
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As a practicing attorney, I was shocked to hear that a family member of mine was alleged to have committed a sex crime. Knowing full well the consequences this type of allegation can have on anyone and their future, I immediately reached out to William Hanlon for help. I had every confidence that Mr. Hanlon had the knowledge, expertise, and experience to handle this problem. Approximately 4 weeks from an initial conference with Mr. Hanlon, we received a call with the news that a letter of release was being issued and the case was being dropped. Now my family member can finally exhale, take a deep breath, and go on with his life. Thank you, William! Jerry
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Was on the ball. Remembered names, events, places, situations. Never need to re explain the situation. Keeps in touch through out the entire experience and keeps you feeling safe, comforted and protected. Fights hard. Worth every single penny. Would never settle for anything less than Will. Carrie
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I was facing a charge that if convicted would carry two years in prison minimally. Not only was he empathetic and listening to what I had to say but he arranged with the prosecutor for my charges not to be filed under terms of a pre trial investigation. Would highly recommend. Alec
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I am very happy for what he did for me. Always there when I needed him. Explained everything well. He Fights for his clients. He got me what I needed. Hes an excellent lawyer. Mutaz
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Mr. Hanlon did what no other lawyer could do. Not only did he turn my criminal history into a thing of the past so I could move on, he was a loyal associate. No matter how bad the situation is, he has miraculously cleared me on every charge since he became my lawyer 5 years ago. I have the best lawyer that the legal system has to offer. I have had other really good lawyers try to get my business, but I know that no one can do a better job than William Hanlon. Jesse