FI Hypothetical & Traffic Stop

[broncojared]

So the hypothetical goes...

Joe Smo has his Cop friend Betty pull over another friend, Crystal.

Joe asks Betty to delay Crystal by pulling her over as Crystal is on her way home from work, but before she arrives home. Reason being, Joe and some other friends are late for cleaning up her house as a surprise gift to Crystal.

Betty pulls over Crystal for no other reason than to delay her. Wasting time, Betty fumbles through random questions about insurance and registration etc.

Crystal finds out after the fact that Joe has set the traffic stop up to delay her. She is upset and wants to sue him for false imprisonment. Will she prevail?

 

[disagreeable]

Joe did not imprison her. Betty can get in trouble if she did not have probable cause for the stop.

 

[Betty3]

Concur/agree with other responder.........

 

[CdwJava]

So the hypothetical goes...

Joe Smo has his Cop friend Betty pull over another friend, Crystal.

Joe Smo and his cop friend, Betty, have just committed at least two crimes (felonies)! Conspiracy to commit false imprisonment, and, false imprisonment under color of authority.

Crystal finds out after the fact that Joe has set the traffic stop up to delay her. She is upset and wants to sue him for false imprisonment. Will she prevail?

WILL she? Maybe. It would all depend on the proof.

The officer and Joe need to be subject to a criminal investigation, and the officer should probably be terminated at the very least, and likely prosecuted if the elements of the offense can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

[army judge]

Concur/agree with other responder.........

I know a certain Betty who wouldn't agree to do this, Betty. Do you know THAT Betty? LOL

 

[ElleMD]

Cop behavior aside, Crystal sounds like a bucket full of fun if her response to a surprise party in her honor is to try and sue the friends who pulled it off. I hate surprise parties, but even I wouldn't go that far.

 

[txls]

Elle I was thinking the same thing, unless the cop really went way overboard. I don't like surprises much either, but they were cleaning her house. That sounds like a lovely surprise.

 

[cynthiag]

Elle I was thinking the same thing, unless the cop really went way overboard. I don't like surprises much either, but they were cleaning her house. That sounds like a lovely surprise.

That was my thought as well. Heck, I get excited if I come home and find out my DH has loaded the dishwasher or put on a load of laundry!

 

[CdwJava]

But, if Crystal was upset, it won't matter as to the motivation ... the officer still unlawfully detained Crystal. Now a court might find that there was no intent to deprive of her freedom such that a crime has been met, but, that might depend on the specifics of the unnamed state's laws on the matter. I can say that we tend to be told to avoid ANY such actions at all costs because these things can have a way of blowing up in your face. The unlikely - yet, predictable - problem might arise that places huge liability upon the parties involved.

Now, if Betty got the approval of her supervisors, she might mitigate some her liability, but, it would still be eminently stupid. If you engage in these kinds of shenanigans, be sure that your "victim" is cool with it!