Should prostitution stings and alike be considered entrapment?
Prostitution stings happen when police put an officer on a corner dressed like a hooker as bait to attract "Johns" whom they arrest when he offers money for sex.
Police also use bait cars to attract car thieves. They leave cars out unlocked with the keys in the ignition, then monitor them untill they are stolen, then they follow that person and arrest them.
Are stings like the "To Catch a Preydator" series on TV entrapment also? Even though "To Catch a Preydator" itself is not run by police, they work hand-in-hand with them.
Are these devices useful in drawing out people who would commit crimes anyway, or are they just inticing people to commit crimes that they would otherwise wouldn't do if the bait weren't there?
Yes
Side Score: 4
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No
Side Score: 1
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1. As to adult prostitution, it is considered entrapment in many cases already, and often a descent lawyer gets people caught in these stings off. This does not necessarily mean it is completely ineffective, likely there are a few cases where the "john" will be scared into not hiring a prostitute any longer. But the vast majority of the time the "john" will simply be more careful, a little word of mouth and anyone can find safe ways of buying sex. 2. In the case of pedophilia, I think it's been shown that the vast vast majority of pedophiles are not deterred by anything, even jail. Though the john's on Catch a Predator still do get off many times on the entrapment law, whether they had been entrapped or not, it was only a matter of time before they found an underage person to have sex with. That is why it is important to get pedophiles off the street. It's a disease that the sad sick bastards simply cannot help. Unfortunately even when prosecuted, which they usually are not, as soon as they are out of prison, which is often sooner than later, they go out and do it again. That's why I think things like chemical castration should be studied and implemented more. Side: yes
I think that stings like "To Catch a Predator," bait cars, and prostitution stings should be considered entrapment. I understand that the police should try to be proactive in their jobs, but it looks to me like they are just trying to sucker people into doing something illegal. For example, the people on "To Catch a Predator" probably wouldn't be there if they hadn't been invited over by someone posing as a flirtatious teenager. "Johns" probably wouldn't try to hire an under cover cop for sex if the police hadn't put her there to begin with. People most likely wouldn't steal bait cars if they had not been put them in public places with they keys still in the ignition. "Baiting" by definition implies that you are trying to catch or lure something that wouldn't have otherwise been caught. The point being, if the police are required to set up the circumstances of the crime for you to commit it, aren't they just as responsible for the crime as you are? Side: yes
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In criminal law, Entrapment is when a law enforcement agent induces a person to commit an offense which the person would otherwise have been unlikely to commit In the prostitution and paedophile cases, I wouldn't classify it as entrapment, but the car-jack one I would. Several occassions I have personally seen a cars doors unlocked with the keys remaining in the ignition.. when I'm walking by. It's not something I would normally do, but it's just so tempting to take it for a spin. You don't go to a brothel for any reason but to pick up a ho. Same as streetwalkers. I find it HIGHLY unlikely people in the vacinity of these activities are going there to ask for the time. The catch a predator is different. If the girls weren't so open and if they didn't make themselves so available maybe those sick fucks wouldn't have gone so far. However these sickos knowingly commit the offence and obviously try to commit these offences and if not the undercover girls it would be another girl. Because of the nature of the crimes aswell I don't think there should be any hesitance in locking up those sick fucks. Side: No
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