What are the two elements of intentional torts?

Prima Facie Case? 

1. Two Steps: (1) identify the elements that a P needs to get to the jury, and (2) identify the affirmative defenses that the D can use.
2. Prima Facie Case (generally):

                                            iii.     Result must have been legally caused by Ds act or something set into motion by him.  Satisfied if D’s conduct was a substantial factor in bringing about the injury.

Battery: 

1. Battery: (i) harmful/offensive contact: unpermitted by an ordinary or reasonable person (judged by a reasonable person standard), (ii) to plaintiff’s person includes anything connected to the P (iii) with intent (D desires to bring about the forbidden outcome, or acts with knowledge that the outcome is virtually certain to occur), (iv) causation

                                               i.     Actual damages not required

1. Assault: (i) an act by the D creating a reasonable apprehension (expectation/knowledge) (ii) of an immediate battery, (iii) intent (iv) causation

b.     Future threats: I’ll beat you up 5 hours from now → no immediacy. 

1. False Imprisonment: (i) an act or omission by D that restrains/confines P (ii) to a bounded area, (iii) intent, (iv) causation

                                            iv.     P must have known of confinement OR be physically harmed by it

1. IIED: (i) act by the D amounting to extreme and outrageous conduct, (ii) intent or recklessness as to effect of act, that (iii) caused (iv) severe emotional distress to P.

5.     Deliberately targeting someone’s known hyper-sensitivity = outrageous

3.     D knew (1) and (2).

1. Trespass to Land: (i) physical invasion of Ps real property (ii) intent to enter that particular piece of land (no need to intend to trespass) (iii) invasion was legally caused by the D’s act.

                                             ii.     Real property includes the air above and the soil below (to a reasonable distance)

1. Trespass to Chattels (personal property): (i) act by the D that interfered w/ Ps right of possession (either via damage to the chattel or deprivation of the right to possess the chattel), (ii) intent, (iii) causation, (iv) actual damages

                                            iii.     Mistaken belief that it is your own property is not a valid defense.

1. Conversion: (i) act by the D that interfered with Ps right of possession, (ii) interference is so serious that it warrants requiring D to pay the chattel’s full value (iii) intent, (iv) causation.

                                             ii.     Allows P to recover the full value of the item involved – forced sale

1. Defenses to Intentional Torts: Consent

1. Consent: P consented to D’s conduct.  Inquiry:

                                             ii.     Did the D stay within the boundaries of consent?

1. Self Defense, Defense of Others, Defense of Property.  Three conditions for use:

D of property: after request to desist or leave (unless clearly futile/dangerous

                                            iii.     Misdemeanor arrests: must be a breach of peace and committed in the presence of the arresting party.  Reasonable degree of force; never deadly force.

1. Necessity: person may interfere w/ real or personal property where there is a reasonable necessity to avoid threatened harm (only applies to property torts).

2. Discipline: parent/teacher may use reasonable force in disciplining children.

Nuisance

1. Nuisance – balance the interests; and avoid undue interference with the P’s land
1. Private Nuisance: substantial, unreasonable interference with a private individual’s use or enjoyment of property which he actually possess or to which he has a right of immediate possession.
2. Public Nuisance: unreasonable interference w/ the health, safety, property rights of the community.
3. Remedies: P usually awarded damages.  If damages inadequate or unavailable, injunctive relief will be available.  Self-help for private nuisance (only necessary force may be used).
4. Defenses: (1) legislative authority, (2) multiple actors, (3) coming to the nuisance

1.  
1. Common Law Defamation Prima Facie Case:

1. Common Law Defamation Prima Facie Case:

c.     Includes oral repetitions of printed material (i.e. radio stmts).

Slander

                                                                                                  iv.     A woman is unchaste

Defenses to Defamation   

1. Defenses to Defamation (no liability if):

1.     Examples where QP applies: reports of official proceedings; statements in the interest of the publisher – defense of one’s actions, property, or reputation; statements in the interest of the recipient; and statements in the common interest of the publisher and recipient.

First Amendment Defamation: 

1. First Amendment Defamation: If the defamation involves a matter of public concern, the Constitution requires proof of two additional elements:

b.     If actual malice → damages presumed → liability imposed

1. Invasion of Right to Privacy – 4 Types

1. Appropriation of P’s picture or name: must show unauthorized use for commercial advantage (usually advertisement/promotion of product/services).  Exception for newsworthiness (e.g. Sports Illustrated putting picture of Tiger on the cover). 
2. Intrusion upon Ps affairs or seclusion: must be objectionable to a reasonable person; P must be in a place where there’s an expectation of privacy (photos taken in public places don’t count); no requirement for physical entry into the P’s property (no trespass needed, but trespass may be a part of the intrusion)
3. Publication of fact placing P in false light: wide spread dissemination of a major misrepresentation about the P that would be objectionable to a reasonable person.  Statement can be, but need not be defamatory.  Allows P to recover emotional damages.  This is not an intentional tort, so an inadvertent misrepresentation still constitutes false life.  If concerns matter of public interest must prove malice. 
4. Public disclosure of private facts: wide-spread dissemination of confidential information about the P that would be objectionable to a reasonable person.  Deals with truthful information.  Exception for newsworthiness information (e.g. no liability for publishing Cheney’s medical records).  Information must be private (e.g. can’t sue co-worker for telling the office that P is gay after seeing him at a gay-pride rally)
5. Defenses: Consent; defamation privileges (only apply in false light and disclosure cases)

1. Misrepresentation

1. Misrepresentation
1. Intentional (fraud, deceit): Elements

                                            vi.     Damages: P must suffer actual pecuniary loss.