To prove a false imprisonment claim as a tort in a civil lawsuit, the following elements must be present: There was a willful detention; The detention was without consent; and. The detention was unlawful.
The most common defense is consent. In other words, the victim voluntarily agreed to being confined.
Examples of false imprisonment: You prevent someone from leaving by grabbing that person's arm; You lock someone in a bedroom; You tie someone to a chair. Note, however, that if the person consented to any of these acts, it wouldn't be false imprisonment.
Penalties for Penal Code 236 False Imprisonment If convicted of a PC 236 felony crime, you could spend up to three years in a California state prison and be fined up to $10,000. It should be noted that if the victim was elderly or dependent, the sentence could increase to four years.
False Imprisonment Defenses. Consent, justification, and self-defense or defense of others are all defenses to hostage false imprisonment.
The misdemeanor offense of false imprisonment under California Penal Code Section 237(a) PC requires a prosecutor to establish the following elements: The defendant intentionally and unlawfully restrained, detained or confined another person. The defendant made the person stay or go somewhere against that person's will ...