If you are referring to the tort of false imprisonment, then the answer is yes. You can file a civil lawsuit against someone or an entity that falsely imprisoned you. However, outside of an extreme situation, the problem is that there are rarely any actual damages. Therefore, a lawsuit is rarely worth doing.
Nominal damages will be awarded to an individual who has suffered no actual damages in consequence to the illegal confinement. In cases where an injured offers proof of injuries suffered, s/he will be compensated with damages for physical injuries, mental suffering, and loss of earnings.
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.
False Imprisonment Penalties Jail time (up to one year in jail for a misdemeanor conviction, three years for a felony conviction, and eight years for a felony conviction involving a hostage) Fines ranging between $1,000 and $10,000 or more. Probation sentences of at least 12 months or more.
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.
False Imprisonment Defenses. Consent, justification, and self-defense or defense of others are all defenses to hostage false imprisonment.
To convict you, the prosecution must prove the following elements: That you intentionally restrained, detained, or confined another person; and. The restraint made the victim go or stay somewhere against their will.
False Imprisonment vs. Assault: Assault involves a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm, creating a reasonable fear in the victim. On the other hand, false imprisonment focuses on the unlawful restriction of a person's freedom of movement.
False Imprisonment and Domestic Violence Specifically, California Penal Code Section 236 makes it unlawful to violate the personal liberty of another. The court will look at whether the defendant intentionally and unlawfully restrained, confined, or detained someone through violence or menace.