Opinion ID: 1920154
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dismissal of the Count for False Imprisonment

Text: Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred in dismissing the count for false imprisonment. False imprisonment has been defined as the unlawful restraint of an individual's personal freedom. W. Prosser, Torts § 11, at 42 (1971); Hickox v. J.B. Morin Agency, Inc., 110 N.H. 438, 442, 272 A.2d 321, 323 (1970); 1 F. Wharton, Criminal Law and Procedure § 385, at 750 (R. Anderson ed. 1957). An essential element of the offense is the absence of valid legal authority for the restraint imposed. W. Prosser supra; 4 F. Wharton, Criminal Law and Procedure § 1585, at 229 (R. Anderson ed. 1957). It is the plaintiff's position that his arrest in June 1971 lacked valid legal authority because the complaint was rendered void on its face by its failure to state facts sufficient to constitute the offense of attempted arson. See 4 F. Wharton, Criminal Law and Procedure § 1586, at 231 (R. Anderson ed. 1957). The criminal complaint alleged in part that defendant did hire a person or persons unknown to willfully and maliciously set fire to the dwelling house of one Roland Bergeron for a sum of money, that as a result thereof a flammable liquid in a glass container was thrown through a window of Bergeron's dwelling house .... The trial court correctly dismissed the count for false imprisonment since the complaint was valid under the relevant statutes applicable at the time when the offense was committed. Laws 1942, 459:7 (RSA 590:7, repealed November 1, 1973); see RSA 629:1 I; RL 96:1 (RSA 584:1, superseded by RSA 634:1 I, November 1, 1973); see State v. Inselburg, 114 N.H. 824, 827, 330 A.2d 457, 460 (1974); Hickox v. J.B. Morin Agency, Inc., 110 N.H. 438, 442-43, 272 A.2d 321, 324 (1970).