Example Of False Imprisonment

“False imprisonment is the unlawful restraint of a person against their will by someone without legal authority or justification” (False Imprisonment). False imprisonment can be caused by a number of factors. These include eyewitness misidentification, improper forensic science, false confession,and snitches,otherwise known as an informer. Eyewitness misidentification are 75% of exonerations. “An exoneration is when someone is freed from guilt or blame” (Exoneration 1). Eyewitness misidentification is the single largest cause of false imprisonment in the United States. Improper forensic science is 50% of exonerations. Methods like bite mark and shoe print analysis can be used,but often have no scientific accuracy. False confession is 25% of exonerations. The suspect may think they will be better off if they confess or would just
be more beneficial than continuing to keep their innocence. Snitches are 19% of exonerations. They may be told they will be let go if they testify. False imprisonment can have many forms.
Force could be used physically,like holding someone down,but it is not required. An example would be of an armed robber yelling for the customers to get down,threatening to shoot them. The robber would be holding everyone against their will. Physical barriers can also be used,items like doors,locks or cars as an example. Holding someone’s property against their will so they are unable to leave is also false imprisonment. Examples would include holding onto their car keys,so that the victim cannot leave. More steps need to be taken to prove someone is guilty. The Government makes many errors, and police have shown misconduct,along with prosecutors and forensic officials. “DNA exoneration is the process of a person being proved innocent post-conviction through DNA testing and evidence” (DNA Exoneration 1). In the United States,there have been 1467 exonerations, 321 involving DNA (DNA Exoneree Case Profiles). The average length of sentence time served by DNA exonerees is 13.6 years. The total number of years served by all DNA exonerees is 4,156 years (Bluhm Legal Clinic: Center on Wrongful
Conviction). Wrongful conviction can have many high costs. Taxpayers pay millions to care for the people that are in prison due to false imprisonment. Some exonerees leave the prisons with serious problems like personality change and PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder). Some exonerees can become depressed,panicked or paranoid easily. These disorders can have large effects on their families. More steps need to be taken to prove a person is truly guilty before they are possibly sentenced for a long period of time for a crime the person didn’t commit.