People v. Carter
People v. Carter
Opinion of the Court
Court of Appeals No. 288198.
Concurring Opinion
(concurring). I concur in the order denying defendant’s application for leave to appeal. Nevertheless, I write separately to reiterate my view that the judicial branch lacks the authority to implement the entrapment defense. Because our judicially crafted entrapment defense is without constitutional foundation, it should be abrogated. Consequently, I would conclude that not only does the entrapment issue set forth by defendant lack merit, it also lacks a valid legal foundation.
Defendant was charged with conspiracy to deliver less than 60 grams of cocaine
While I generally concur with the Court of Appeals that the entrapment issue raised by defendant lacks merit, I further believe that the entrapment defense itself lacks a valid legal foundation. Indeed, “[o]nce a ‘defendant has engaged in conduct constituting all the elements of a criminal offense, as defined by the Legislature,’ this Court does not then have the authority to conclude that the Legislature did not intend that the defendant be punished or that the prosecution should be barred as a matter of policy.”
For these reasons, I concur in the order denying defendant’s application for leave to appeal, but I also reaffirm my view that the ongoing recognition of the entrapment defense by the judiciary amounts to an unconstitutional usurpation of executive and legislative powers.
MCL 333.7401(2)(a)(iv); MCL 750.157a.
MCL 333.7401(2)(a)(iv).
MCL 769.12.
MCL 333.7413(2).
People v Claypool, 470 Mich 715, 735-736 (2004), quoting People v Maffett, 464 Mich 878, 895 (2001).
Chief Justice Kelly is correct that the “issue of the constitutionality of the entrapment defense was never raised in this Court.” Post at 1110. A review of the record reveals, however, that the prosecutor did raise this issue before the Court of Appeals. The prosecutor specifically argued that when properly understood as a non-jurisdictional defense, entrapment “should be considered waived” by an unconditional guilty plea. Indeed, the prosecutor expressly raised this issue “for purposes of issue preservation.”
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). I disagree with the Court of Appeals decision to deny leave to appeal for lack of merit in the grounds presented.
The issue of the constitutionality of the entrapment defense was never raised in this Court. In fact, the prosecution never responded to defendant’s application for leave to appeal.
In People v Johnson,
Therefore, I would remand this case to the Court of Appeals for consideration of the issue as on leave granted.
See, e.g., Gross v Gen Motors Corp, 448 Mich 147, 162 n 8 (1995) (“[flailure to properly brief an issue on appeal constitutes abandonment of the question”).
People v Johnson, 466 Mich 491 (2002).
See, e.g., People v Juillet, 439 Mich 34 (1991); People v White, 411 Mich 366 (1981); People v Killian, 117 Mich App 220 (1982); People v LaBate, 122 Mich App 644 (1983); People v Asher, 67 Mich App 174 (1976).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.