Question

Discuss the pros and cons of using confidential informants to combat crime.  Discuss what entrapment entails and how entrapment could be used as a defense strategy. Do you believe that using informants can be entrapment? Why or why not?

Answer 1

The pros of using the confidential informant is quite helpful in apprehending the criminals from the society. This will is quite helpful for society as criminals can be caught easily.

The main cons are that the background and credibility may be dicey in some instances. There may be a chance that the informant is working both with the agency and the criminal.

Entrapment is when some sort fo urge, harass or any other method is used by the law enforcement agency to motivate the individual to commit the crime

Entrapment can be used as a defense strategy in criminal charges by stating that the crime was committed by the defendant because of the harassment or coercion by the law enforcement agency. In these pressures were not there, then no crime would have resulted.

I do not think that the use of informant can be seen as an entrapment as in case of information the vital information is provided to the agencies but in case of entrapment, some traps are used to force the criminal to perform the illegal activities.