Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Practice Exam

What term describes the situation when a law enforcement officer persuades someone to commit a crime they wouldn’t otherwise commit?

1. Coercion

2. Entrapment

3. Collusion

4. Conspiracy

The correct answer is: Entrapment

The term that describes the situation when a law enforcement officer persuades someone to commit a crime they wouldn’t otherwise commit is "entrapment." Entrapment occurs when law enforcement officials create a situation that leads a person to commit a criminal act, even if that individual had no prior intention to engage in illegal behavior. The essential element of entrapment is the idea that the government's involvement effectively induced the crime, leading the person to act in a way they normally would not. In the context of law enforcement and legal proceedings, the concept of entrapment is significant because it raises questions about the fairness of a prosecution. If a person can demonstrate that they were entrapped, they may have grounds for defense against the charges. The other terms presented here relate to different legal concepts. Coercion involves forcing someone to act in a certain way through threats or intimidation, which does not typically apply when discussing persuasion to commit a crime. Collusion refers to an agreement between parties to act together in a fraudulent or deceitful manner, and conspiracy involves an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime at some point in the future. Both of these concepts do not encompass the unique circumstance of deceptive persuasion by law enforcement present in entrapment.