When the police make someone commit a crime they normally would not have committed, this is called what?

• A. Coercion
• B. Entrapment
• C. Conspiracy
• D. Duress

Answer: (B)

Entrapment happens when law enforcement authorities actively induce or persuade someone to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed. The key idea is that the officer’s actions create the opportunity or pressure for the crime, and the person lacked the predisposition to commit it on their own. In these cases, the defense argues that the crime was the result of police testing or baiting rather than the individual’s own criminal intent, so charges can be dismissed or reduced.

Coercion involves forcing someone to act through threats or intimidation, but it doesn’t center on police creating the crime itself; it’s about pressure used to compel action, which can occur in many contexts. Duress is similar, typically involving a threat of imminent harm to the person or others to force the crime. Conspiracy is a plan or agreement between people to commit a crime, which isn’t about police instigating illegal acts but about shared intent among participants. The best fit for “police make someone commit a crime they normally would not have committed” is entrapment. Under this concept, the distinguishing factor is the police-induced initiation of the criminal act rather than the person’s own predisposition or plan.