Informants: Cultivation and Motivation

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Chapter 8

• InformantsCultivation and Motivation

Osterburg Ward, 2004
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Court Cases Concerning the Use of Informants

• Hoffa v. United States (paid informants)
• Maine v. Moulton (admissibility of statements)
• Draper v. United States (probable cause)
• Aguilar v. Texas (probable cause)
• Spinelli v. United States (probable cause)
• Roviaro v. United States (confidentiality)
• McCray v. Illinois (confidentiality)
• Smith v. Illinois (confidentiality)

Osterburg Ward, 2004
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Motives for Informing

• Self-serving reasons
• cutting deal/eliminating competition/building
  credit
• Mercenary reasons
• paid informants
• Self-aggrandizement
• favorable attention from authorities
• Emotions
• fear/revenge/jealousy/repentance/gratitude
• Civic Duty

Osterburg Ward, 2004
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Handling Informants

• Meet on neutral ground
• Treat informant fairly
• Treat informant courteously
• Appeal to reason of motivation
• Clue in newly recruited informant
• Explain entrapment
• Maintain cover
• Keep informants in line
• Advise informant not to commit crimes for
  information
• Keep financial transaction exact

Osterburg Ward, 2004
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Interviewing Informants

• Press for details
• Be tactful
• Check reliability of information
• Do not reveal discrepancies of information
• Be sympathetic
• Avoid embarrassing questions
• Maintain control of interview

Osterburg Ward, 2004
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Conditions Meeting Entrapment

• Law enforcement official or person acting as
  agent of law enforcement
• Purpose is to institute a criminal prosecution
• Innocent individual is induced
• Conduct constitutes a criminal offense
• Person who otherwise would not do so is prompted
  to commit an illegal act

Osterburg Ward, 2004