South Florida Entrapment

Although entrapment is not a common defense, in certain circumstances it can mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. In South Florida, entrapment is defined as being arrested for a crime that would otherwise not have been committed if not encouraged or coerced by an agent of law enforcement. If you or a loved one has been arrested, and you believe that the arrest was due to entrapment, attorneys in Palm Beach County, including the cities of Boca Raton, Jupiter, West Palm Beach and Wellington are skilled and will conduct a thorough investigation into the specific facts of the case and protect the rights of the accused.

Your lawyer will need to conduct an investigation to put together a successful entrapment defense. If you do go to trial, skilled South Florida entrapment attorneys will bring to light the circumstances surrounding the entrapment defense.

Hiring a skilled criminal defense lawyer with experience in entrapment cases is vital to defending your rights. A felony conviction can result in serious consequences that will make your life more difficult now and in the future. Depending on the charge, some of these penalties can include:

• Imprisonment, including imprisonment for life
• Fines of up to $15,000
• Many felonies cannot be expunged from your record, making it harder to find a job apply for a loan or get housing ⁽¹⁾

In Palm Beach County during 2008-2009, there were 11,482 felony charges filed. The charges were later dropped for 5,731 of those defendants. ⁽²⁾ Many of these charges are likely to have been dismissed due to strong defense evidence, including proof of entrapment.

Since the defendant must prove they were entrapped to commit a crime, knowledgeable South Florida entrapment lawyers offer the best chance for a good outcome. Some questions must be answered in order to consider an entrapment defense:

• Did law enforcement persuade or threaten the accused to confess to the crime?
• Were promises made to the accused by law officers in exchange for a confession?
• Were proper procedures followed by law enforcement?
• If not persuaded to commit the crime by law enforcement, would the accused have committed the crime? ^{(1, 3)}

All of the above can be grounds for getting your felony case dismissed. Protect your rights by hiring a skilled entrapment attorney as soon as possible.

Entrapment may be illegal, but because you or your loved one will have to prove the crime committed was due to entrapment, it is vital to have an experienced entrapment attorney to ensure that the rights of the accused are protected.

The attorneys of Perlet & Shiner, P.A. represent entrapment clients in all of South Florida, including Jupiter, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Wellington and other cities.