Opinion ID: 1992950
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: factors indicating police-induced conduct

Text: To determine whether the governmental activity would induce a normally law-abiding person in circumstances similar to the defendant's to engage in criminal activity, courts in Michigan and other objective test states have stated a number of types of conduct to consider in addition to the defendant's circumstances that would be found to have manufactured a crime. In Turner, supra, we indicated that the court could consider whether there existed any appeals to the defendant's sympathy as a friend, whether the defendant had been known to commit the crime with which he was charged, and whether there were any long time lapses between the investigation and the arrest. 390 Mich 22-23. A number of other factors exist which have been considered by various courts to determine if a person in circumstances similar to the defendant's would be entrapped. In addition to the factors indicated in Turner, the courts have also considered any inducements that would make the commission of a crime unusually attractive to a hypothetical law-abiding citizen, offers of excessive consideration or other enticement, and a guarantee that the acts alleged as crimes were not illegal. Jamieson, 436 Mich 73-74. Furthermore, the courts consider whether and to what extent any government pressure existed, the existence of sexual favors, whether there were any threats of arrest made by the governmental agents, and the existence of any government procedures that tend to escalate the criminal culpability of the defendant. Id. Finally, the courts have considered the police control over any informant, Jamieson, supra, whether the investigation is targeted or untargeted, People v Duis, 81 Mich App 698; 265 NW2d 794 (1978); see also State v Anders, 560 So 2d 288 (Fla App, 1990); Lusby v State, 507 So 2d 611, 612-613 (Fla App, 1987) (stating that entrapment may exist when an informant goes on a fishing expedition and has no reason to believe that a person has any contact with illegal drugs), and whether an informant or undercover officer was a necessary ingredient in the undercover operation. While this list is not intended to be exclusive, these items are some of the more important factors that courts have considered.