Intentional Torts

Assault and battery

_______ is the intentional, harmful or offensive touching of another without his consent.

_______ is an attempt to cause a harmful or offensive contact with another if it causes a reasonable apprehension of immediate battery.

_______ is the threat of violence, whereas _______ is the actual violence.

(battery/assault/ assault /battery)

T or F Statements1. If Mike throws a rock at Stevens and

Stevens is hit by the rock, Mike has not committed a battery because of no direct contact between their bodies.

(Direct contact between a wrongdoer’s body and the body of another is not necessary for a battery to result.---F)

2. If Mike throws a rock at Stevens, but Peter is hit by the rock, Mike is not liable to Peter for battery.

(A wrongdoer who intends to injure one person, but injures another is also liable to the person injured in spite of the absence of any specific intent to injure him.---F)

3. Threats of future battery do not create liability of assault.

(Because assault is limited to threats of immediate battery---T.)

4. If A throws a stone at B from a great distance and misses him, and B learns of the attempt on his life only at a later date, then A is liable to B for the tort of assault.

(Because the elements of assault require that the victim actually experiences an apprehension of immediate battery before liability results.---F)

5. Being annoyed, A knocked the purse out of B’s hand. A did not commit battery as there was no physical injury to B’s body.

(In battery physical injury does not have to occur. A battery does not always require the touching of the actual person of the victim, if the tortfeasor touches something closely associated with that victim.---F)

False Imprisonment False imprisonment is the

intentional confinement of another for a period of time without his consent.

Confinement may result from _______to the plaintiff’s freedom of movement, or ________ or ________against the plaintiff.

(physical barrier ; the use of physical force ; the threat to use physical force )

T or F Statements1. In order to prevent A from

moving, B does not threat to harm A but harm A’s spouse or child instead. So this is not false imprisonment.

(Confinement also results from the detention of the plaintiff’s property or a threat to harm another, such as the plaintiff’s spouse or child.---F)

2. A confines B in a room by locking one door, but this room has other unlocked doors. This does not amount to false imprisonment.

(The confinement required for false imprisonment must be complete. Partial confinement does not amount to false imprisonment.---T)

3. A confines B in a room in the third story of a building with all doors locked, only one third-story window open. Such confinement does not amount to false imprisonment.

(The fact a means of escape exists does not render a confinement partial if the plaintiff cannot reasonably be expected to know of its existence. The same is true if it involves some unreasonable risk of harm to the plaintiff.---F)

False imprisonment cases concerning shoplifting:

(1) The common law is more in favor of the interest of customers.

The common law held store owners liable for any torts committed while detaining a suspected shoplifter if the subsequent investigation revealed that the detainee was innocent of any wrongdoing.

(2) Statutes tend to protect the legitimate interests of store owners.

Most states have passed statutes giving store owner a conditional privilege to stop persons who they reasonably believe are shoplifting.

However, the owner must act in a reasonable manner and only detain the suspect for a reasonable length of time.

(Johnson v. K-mart Enterprises, Inc)

Case analysis: Bonkowski v. Arlan’s Department Store

Facts: the plaintiff, the defendant store, a private policeman, in the nearby parking lot, steal costume jewelry…

Procedural history– This case is an appeal from a jury trial with a verdict for false arrest and slander

Plaintiff’s claim– torts, damages on false arrest and slander

Defendant’s claim– to waive the jury’s verdict and make a new trial

Legal issues: Whether the case should be taken

on a new trial? What privilege does the defendant

have as a defense in shoplifting cases involving false arrest?

Reasoning: What is the usual privilege the

defendant enjoys under the common law and the Restatement of Torts?

What is the justification for it? What is the privilege recognized in

this case? Give instructions on what the jury

should do on remand of this case.

Reasoning:1. Clarify the legal principle governing this

case: (1) what privilege a merchant enjoys (2)under what circumstances he enjoys

such privilege (3)why it is necessary to grand merchant

such privilege (The appeal court stresses the concept

of privilege in false arrest case involving shoplifting, whereas the trial court and the jury made no consideration to this defense.)

Reasoning:2. Extend this privilege to the special

circumstances of this case----the detention of one who has left the premises but in their immediate vicinity.

3. Remand the case to the trial court for a new trial with instruction----it will be the duty of the jury to decide (1) whether…and (2) whether…

Decision: Reversed and remanded for new trial.

Defamation Defamation refers to unprivileged

publication of false and defamatory statements concerning another. The statements must harm the particular plaintiff’s reputation.

1. Two statements “ Alfred is a lousy governor.” “ I think Tony must be a homosexual.” Which statement is a subject of

defamation? ( statement of opinions statement of facts)

2. The elements of the tort of defamation require publication of a defamatory statement. (T or F)

(1) Communication of the defamatory statement to one person other than the person defamed is ordinarily not sufficient for publication.

(2) One who repeats or republishes a defamatory statement is liable for defamation, regardless of whether he identifies the source of the statement.

3. Libel and Slander

(1) Which category should some new media, such as radio, television, be classified into?

Today the great majority of courts treat broadcast defamation as libel.

(2) Is there any significance to distinguish libel and slander?

Libel is actionable without any proof of special damage to the plaintiff.

Slander is generally not actionable without proof of special damage.

4. Defamation and the constitution In recent years the Supreme Court has

balanced the conflicting social interests in a series of important cases.

(1) Under the common law, defendants were strictly liable for defamatory statements.

(2) In New York Times v. Sullivan, the court held that public officials seeking to recover for defamatory statements relating to performance of their official duties must prove actual malice on the part of a media defendant to recover any damages.

The plaintiff was awarded punitive damages without need to show defendant had actual malice.

(3) In Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc, the court refused to extend the actual malice test to media defamation of private citizens who involuntarily became involved in matters of public concern. Instead, the court held that :

A. to recover compensatory damages such person must prove some degree of fault at least amounting to negligence on the part of the defendant.

B. to recover punitive damages they must prove actual malice.

(4) Dun Bradstreet Inc v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc is a case involving a private figure plaintiff (a construction contractor) and defamatory speech about a matter of purely private concern (a false credit report). The court refused to apply the Gertz standard and upheld a recovery based on the common law strict liability standard.

5. Defenses to defamation(1) ______ is an absolute defense to

defamation. The tort of defamation requires that a statement as the basis of a defamation suit be _____ and ______.

( Truth; false and defamatory)(2) Even where defamatory statements

are false, a defense of _____ may serve to prevent liability._____ can be absolute or conditional.

(privilege; privilege)

a. statements made by participants in judicial proceedings, legislators in the course of legislative proceedings, certain executive officials in the course of their official duties…

----absolute privilege

b. Statements made by the author for acting to protect his own legitimate interests or those of third person.

----conditional privilege

Invasion of Privacy Four distinct behaviors qualify as

an invasion of privacy.1. Intrusion on a person’s solitude or

seclusion The intrusion must be offensive to a

reasonable person.It may be physical or nonphysical.

2. Publication of information that placs a person in a false light in the public eyes

False light in the public eyes arises when one publishes false material designed to make a person look bad.

3. Appropriation of name or likeness for commercial purposes

Appropriation accurs when a person’s name, picture or other likeness is used for commercial advantage without his consent.

4. Public disclosure of private matters

Publicity of private matters arises when information private in character is exposed to the public.

A. Truth is not a defense to this type of invasion of privacy.

B. This tort also conflicts with the constitutionally protected freedoms of the press and of speech.

The courts have attempted to balance these conflicting social interests in several ways.

First, no liability ordinarily attaches to publicity concerning matters of public record or of legitimate public interest.

Second, public figures and public officials have no right of privacy concerning information that is reasonably related to their public life.

Intentional torts against property

Trespass to land Nuisance Trespass to personal property Conversion

real property (realty)1. Property personal property (personalty) to land2. Trespass to personal property

______is the most common tort that infringes upon both real and personal property interests. (Trespass)

A person who ventures onto the land of another without permission is a ______.

(trespasser)

3. trespass to land / nuisance(1) Definition Trespass to land: P7 Nuisance is the unreasonable and

unlawful interference with another person’s right to the use or enjoyment of his land.

(2) The traditional view regarding trespass is that there must be an actual (physical), tangible interferences.

Nuisance, unlike trespass, does not necessarily involve any physical interferences of a person’s property.

(3) Examples

Trespass to land: P7

Nuisance: noise, vibrations, the projection of light, unpleasant smell…

4. Trespass to personal property / conversion

(1) Definition

Trespass to personal property:P7

Conversion is the wrongful and unlawful exercise of control or dominion (power) over the personal property of another.

Conversion deprives the proper owner of lawful rights in the property.

Case analysis:

Milk goes to Friendly Motors to ask for a test-drive of new-brand car. Suppose:

(1) Milk wrecks the car, causing serious damage to the car;

(2) Milk drives the car across the United States;

(3) Milk is involved in the fender bender;

(4) Milk keeps the car for eight hours.

Which situations constitute conversion, and which situations constitute trespass to personal property?

(2) The difference between conversion and trespass to personal property is based on __________________________

(the degree of interference with another’s property rights).

The factors the courts may consider in determining the seriousness of interference are _________________

a. the extent of the harm done to the property ;

b. the extent and duration of the interference

T or F for revision:

(1) Nuisance must involve some physical invasion of a person’s property.

(2) Noise, vibration, unpleasant odors are examples that could be trespass.

(3) A person cannot be liable for trespass if the trespass results from his mistaken belief that his entry is legally justified.

(4) The difference between conversion and trespass to personal property is based on the degree of interference with another’s property right.