Exam 10: Civil Liability

A defense of __________ negligence holds that if an officer can show that the plaintiff was also negligent in causing the damage or injury, the officer will not be held liable for the damage or injury.

In which type of tort must the plaintiff prove that the police officer intended to engage in conduct that led to the injury or damage?

The plaintiff in a civil suit is the same as the defendant in a criminal trial.

The person, agency, or government that is sued and has allegedly inflicted the damage or injury is referred to as the ___________.

The unique vulnerability of the police and a trend toward allowing governmental liability has led to a decline in lawsuits.

False imprisonment is the unlawful seizure and detention of a person or any unlawful restraint of a person's liberty without their consent.

The general principle behind the assumption of risk doctrine is that one who voluntarily engages in a known and foreseeable dangerous behavior cannot expect to recover damages sustained in conjunction with engaging in the dangerous behavior.

Which of the following best describes offensive or harmful contact between two persons?

A defense of ___________ negligence allows the court to assess fault to both parties and determine the extent to which each party contributed to the accident.

Some torts also can be crimes.

Negligent ___________ may occur if a police officer fails to take adequate actions to protect a person from a known and foreseeable danger.

Settling lawsuits out of court can lead to frivolous civil suits and create morale problems in police organizations.

Which of the following is NOT an intentional tort?

The cost of an average jury award of liability against a municipality is reported to be about $_____ million.

Torts are redressed by money awards and are not subject to criminal punishments.

To affect a warrantless arrest, police officers must have probable cause to believe the suspect has committed or is in the process of committing a crime.

__________ is normally associated with behaviors that are so dangerous or hazardous that a reasonable person who engages in such behavior can be substantially certain the conduct will result in injury or damage.

A police department can be a defendant in a civil suit.

It is discouraged when filing a liability suit for plaintiffs to name as many persons as possible in a civil action.

The Supreme Court curtailed the use of deadly force by police officers in ___________ in 1985 when it held that certain state fleeing-felon laws were unconstitutional.