What is the condition under which the entrapment defense is applicable?

The entrapment defense is applicable specifically in situations where a state agent, such as a law enforcement officer, induces an individual to commit a crime without having reasonable suspicion about that person’s predisposition to engage in criminal behavior. This means that the law enforcement officer cannot merely encourage or persuade someone to commit an offense unless there are reasonable grounds to believe that the individual is already inclined to commit that crime.

The key component of this defense is the concept of “inducement.” If law enforcement officers create an opportunity for an individual to commit a crime and do so without having reasonable suspicion that the individual would have committed the crime of their own accord, then the defense of entrapment may apply. It is designed to prevent law enforcement from coercing individuals into committing offenses they would not have otherwise engaged in.

The other options do not align with the legal framework governing entrapment. A history of criminal behavior can indicate predisposition but does not directly relate to the entrapment defense; reporting a crime does not involve the inducement of a crime by law enforcement; and having probable cause to arrest is a separate legal concept regarding the lawful basis for law enforcement action rather than addressing entrapment.