Cases Flashcards
(131 cards)
Pearson v. Dodd
Reporter
In order to be liable for conversion, the defendant must permanently erase or take away the plaintiff’s use of the chattel.
Katko v. Briney
Shot Gun
- Human life and safety takes priority over property rights.
- A property owner cannot use lethal or indiscriminate force to defend their property if they do not believe their life is in danger.
Bonkowski v. Arlan’s Department Store
Jewelry Thief
- Shopkeeper’s privilege: merchant is privileged to detain someone they suspect of theft.
- The merchant must have a reasonable belief the theft occurred and they must conduct a reasonable investigation and must be close to the store itself.
Sindle v. New York City Transit Authority
School Bus
Those in a parental role can use reasonable force to maintain discipline for safety purposes.
Garratt v. Dailey
Chair
- The defendant must intend to make contact AND have substantial certainty that the contact will cause harm.
- The contact can be indirect and still be considered battery.
McGuire v. Almy
Insane Lady
Legal insanity is not a defense against battery.
Wallace v. Rosen
Fire Alarm
Not all unwanted touching constitutes battery. Battery requires that the unwanted touching be done in a “rude, insolent or angry manner”.
Wagner v. State
Grabbing Hair
- To commit a battery, the defendant only needs to intend to contact, not necessarily to cause harm.
- Legal insanity is not a defense for battery.
Talmage v. Smith
Threw Stick
A defendant is liable for the damages that result from an illegal action, regardless of whether the plaintiff was the intended target or not
Fisher v. Carrousel
Plate
- An offensive contact, when done in anger, constitutes battery regardless of whether physical injury is caused.
- Offensive contact extends to the objects associated with the plaintiff, such as those items they are holding, and not necessarily direct physical contact with the plaintiff.
I de S et ux. v. W de S
Axe in Tavern
- Established assault as a tort.
- Apprehension of harm is harm in and of itself.
Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Hill
Sexual Harassment
It is not necessary that the contact be actually physically possible, only that the plaintiff have a “well-founded fear of an imminent battery” and the defendant has an apparent ability to follow through on the battery.
Big Town Nursing Home, Inc. v. Newman
Old Man
- Restraining someone against their will without legal justification is false imprisonment.
- A defendant can be held for actual and punitive damages for false imprisonment.
Parvi v. City of Kingston
Drunk on the Highway
The plaintiff must be conscious of the confinement for it to be considered false imprisonment. However, ‘conscious’ can mean conscious at the time of the imprisonment without any current recollection.
Hardy v. LaBelle’s Distributing Co.
Interrogation by Employer
There must be evidence that the plaintiff was confined against their will to qualify as false imprisonment.
Whittaker v. Sandford
Trapped on a Boat
Being denied access to freedom is considered physical restraint even if the plaintiff is not be physically held.
Enright v. Groves
Mistaken Arrest
A police officer commits false imprisonment if they arrest someone for something which is not a crime, even if they thought it was a crime.
Dougherty v. Stepp
Innocent Entrance
A defendant can be held liable for trespass to land even if no damage is caused or if the land is unenclosed.
Herrin v. Sutherland
Shooting over Land
- A defendant does not need to physically stand on another’s land to be held liable for trespass to land.
- Property extended vertically as well as horizontally.
Rogers v. Board of Road Commissioners for Kent County
Pole Left Behind
- A defendant may be held liable for trespass to land if they leave an unauthorized object on the property.
- Consent to stay or leave someone on someone’s land can be revoked.
State Rubbish Collectors Association v. Siliznoff
Trash Mafia
The defendant may be held liable for mental distress caused by an action which did not amount to assault.
Taylor v. Vallelunga
Father’s Beating
The defendant must have intended to inflict emotional distress or have substantial certainty that the distress will occur to be held liable for IIED.
Slocum v. Food Fair Stores of Florida
Rude Employee
- Mere insults and vulgarities do not amount to IIED.
- Severe emotional distress is an objective standard of what a reasonable person would experience.
Harris v. Jones
Stutter
The plaintiff’s distress must be extremely severe in order to recover for IIED.