false imprisonment

false imprisonment
false imprisonment n: the tort of intentionally restraining another by physical force or the threat of physical force without privilege or authority see also false arrest at arrest

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

false imprisonment
n.
The tort of detaining someone intentionally and without justification.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


false imprisonment
A crime in which the perpetrator intentionally restrains another person without having the legal right to do so. This can literally mean physical restraint, such as locking someone in a car or tying the person to a chair. However, it's not necessary that physical force be used; threats or a show of apparent authority are sufficient. False imprisonment is a misdemeanor and a tort (a civil violation). If the perpetrator confines the victim for a substantial period of time (or moves the victim a significant distance) in order to commit a felony, the false imprisonment may become a kidnapping. People who are arrested and get the charges dropped, or are later acquitted, often think that they can sue the arresting officer for false imprisonment (also known as false arrest). These lawsuits rarely succeed: As long as the officer had probable cause to arrest the person, the officer will not be liable for a false arrest, even if it turns out later that the information the officer relied upon was incorrect.
Category: Criminal Law
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


false imprisonment
n. The act of detaining or restraining another without proper legal authority; a false arrest.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.


false imprisonment
The illegal confinement of one individual against his or her will by another individual in such a manner as to violate the confined individual's right to be free from restraint of movement.

Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.


false imprisonment
The illegal confinement of one individual against his or her will by another individual in such a manner as to violate the confined individual's right to be free from restraint of movement.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

false imprisonment
n.
   depriving someone of freedom of movement by holding a person in a confined space or by physical restraint including being locked in a car, driven about without opportunity to get out, being tied to a chair or locked in a closet. It may be the follow-up to a false arrest (holding someone in the office of a department store, for example), but more often it resembles a kidnapping with no belief or claim of a legal right to hold the person. Therefore, false imprisonment is often a crime and if proved is almost always the basis of a lawsuit for damages.
   See also: false arrest

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • False imprisonment — is a tort, and possibly a crime, wherein a person is intentionally confined without legal authority.ElementsThe elements of the tort are: * Intent to confine another person against their will. In Australia, this element will be fulfilled if the… …   Wikipedia

  • False imprisonment — False False, a. [Compar. {Falser}; superl. {Falsest}.] [L. falsus, p. p. of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F. faux, and AS. fals fraud. See {Fail}, {Fall}.] 1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • false imprisonment — n. Law any unlawful detention or restraint of another person …   English World dictionary

  • false imprisonment — noun (law) confinement without legal authority • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑imprisonment, ↑internment * * * noun : the imprisonment of a person contrary …   Useful english dictionary

  • False imprisonment — Imprison ment Im*pris on ment, n. [OE. enprisonment; F. emprisonnement.] The act of imprisoning, or the state of being imprisoned; confinement; restraint. [1913 Webster] His sinews waxen weak and raw Through long imprisonment and hard constraint …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • false imprisonment — The unlawful restraint by one person of the physical liberty of another. 22 Am J False Imp § 1. An unlawful violation of the personal liberty of another, whether considered as a tort or a crime. Parrot v Bank of America Nat. Trust & Sav. Asso. 97 …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • false imprisonment — false im prisonment noun uncount the crime of preventing someone from leaving a place when you have no legal right to do this …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • false imprisonment — false′ impris′onment n. law the unlawful restraint of a person from exercising the right to freedom of movement • Etymology: 1760–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • false imprisonment — noun Date: 14th century imprisonment of a person contrary to law …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • false imprisonment — unjust imprisonment of an individual (criminal offense) …   English contemporary dictionary

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