Often overlapping with false imprisonment, the intentional tort of false arrest involves someone being held against their will or taken into custody without consent or a legal justification. This can give rise to a civil claim for damages.
Proving False Arrest To be successful with a civil lawsuit pertaining to false arrest, you must prove three elements of your case. These are as follows: Law enforcement officials arrested you without a valid warrant, without a warrant at all, or without probable cause. You suffered actual harm as a result.
A conservative estimate is that you can get $1,000 per hour of wrongful incarceration. This figure can go up to many thousands of dollars per hour if aggravating factors apply. For instance, if you had medical complications after your arrest and had to go to the hospital in handcuffs, then your payout could be higher.
A false arrest is the restraint or detention by one person of another without lawful justification (probable cause or a valid arrest warrant) under an asserted legal authority to enforce the process of the law.
Typically, plaintiffs bringing allegations of false arrest against state authorities need to prove all three of the elements outlined below. The arrest was inappropriate. The person detained suffered harm. An officer was the cause of the injury.
In Washington State, false arrest is a serious legal issue that can lead to significant emotional, financial, and reputational damage for the affected individual. In Washington, a false arrest claim is typically based on a violation of constitutional rights or a breach of state laws.
Gather evidence: If possible, try to remember details of the arrest, like the officer's name and any witnesses. Contact an attorney: Talk to a lawyer specializing in wrongful arrest. They can advise you on your legal options, which may include filing a lawsuit against the arresting officer or department.
(1) In any action for damages, whether based on tort or contract or otherwise, a claim or counterclaim for damages may be litigated in the principal action for malicious prosecution on the ground that the action was instituted with knowledge that the same was false, and unfounded, malicious and without probable cause ...