The PEOPLE v. McSmith

After a bench trial in the criminal court of Cook County, the defendant, Milton McSmith, was convicted of unlawfully selling narcotic drugs and was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 10 to 15 years. He prosecutes this writ of error for review, contending that the evidence in the record establishes a defense of entrapment as a matter of law. Before looking to the factual setting for this claim, an analysis of the legal principles it invokes will best serve to clarify and narrow the issue presented.

Entrapment is recognized in this jurisdiction as a valid defense, and has been defined…