Opinion ID: 413482
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Entrapment and Government Conduct

Text: 8 Appellant argues that his conviction was erroneous because there was entrapment or, in the alternative, the conduct of the government agents was so outrageous that due process was violated. An assessment of whether there was entrapment focuses on the predisposition of the defendant. United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 423, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 36 L.Ed.2d 366 (1973). The jury was instructed on the issue of entrapment. In reviewing appellant's conviction in light of the jury's finding that appellant was not entrapped, the evidence of predisposition must be viewed in the light most favorable to the government. 9 The evidence of appellant's predisposition to commit the offense was more than sufficient. Appellant willingly attended several meetings with informant Bauer and made additional contacts by phone in order to arrange the transaction. Furthermore, appellant contacted others in an attempt to have them invest in the marijuana. Appellant participated willingly at all stages of the conspiracy. 10 An evaluation of appellant's challenge that the conduct of the government agents was so outrageous that due process was violated requires examination of the government conduct. The opinion in United States v. Gianni, 678 F.2d 956 (11th Cir.1982), presents a summary of the law in this circuit on government overinvolvement. The Gianni opinion emphasized that while our court and the Supreme Court have recognized the possibility that government involvement in a criminal scheme might be so pervasive that it would be a constitutional violation, that standard has not yet been met in any case either before the Supreme Court or our court. 678 F.2d 959-60. Law enforcement tactics including infiltration and the supplying of illegal substances do not violate the fundamental fairness mandated by the due process clause. United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 429, 433, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 1643, 36 L.Ed.2d 366, 374. 11 Government involvement in appellant's case falls far short of the degree of government participation which we approved of in United States v. Tobias, 662 F.2d 381 (5th Cir. Unit B 1981). Agents here merely provided the opportunity and marijuana for a transaction desired by appellant. Indeed, the present facts resemble those of United States v. Gianni, 678 F.2d 956, where agents contacted individuals they had encountered in prior work and offered to sell them large quantities of marijuana. This court found that such conduct did not violate the due process clause. In appellant's case, however, the government agents did not even make the initial contact. Viewing the totality of the circumstances, as prescribed by Gianni, 678 F.2d at 960, we do not find the involvement of the government agents outrageous or unconstitutional.