Torts
Prof.Duncan
Mon2/8/2016
1.
Inacrowdedsubwaytwopeoplearestandingnexttoeachother
becausetherearenoavailableseats.Person1looksdownandnotices
thatPerson2hasshiny,newshoes.Thinkingthatitwouldbefunnyand
agood-naturedprank,Person1decidestosteponPerson2’sshoesto
scuffthemalittle.Ashedoes,sothetrainslowssuddenly,andinstead
ofjustscuffingtheshoeswithlightcontact,Person1endsupstomping
Person2’sshoewithalotofforce.Person2suffersinjurytohistoes,
butthereisnoactualdamagetotheshoe.Forwhatintentionaltort,if
any,mayPerson1beliable?
A. Person1isnotliableinintentionaltortbecausehedidnot
intendtoinjurePerson2.
B. Person1maybeliablefortrespasstochattel.
C. Person1maybeliableforbattery.
D. Person1maybeliableforbothbatteryandtrespasstochattel.
2.
TwostudentsattheendofthesemesterearnedaDintorts.One
studentwasincrediblyirateaboutthegrade,andtheotherwas
blissfullyhappyhedidnotreceiveanF.BlissfullyHappyStudent
decidedtocelebrate.Inordertocelebrate,shewenttothestoreand
boughtabowandarrow.Shewaiteduntiltheclassroomwasfulland
beganshootingsuctioncuptipped,woodenarrowsintotheairinthe
classroomwithasignonthemthatsaid,“Joy,Joy!Iwillworkharder
becausenowIknowthatyourgradesinlawschoolareproportionalto
theamountofworkyoudo.”Heronlygoalinshootingthearrowswas
toshareherprofounddiscoveryaboutthecorrelationbetweengrades
andworkinlawschool.However,thearrowsbouncedoffthewallsand
hitmanypeople,causingthemtoexperienceoffensivecontact.Irate
StudentacquiredthesamekindofbowandarrowthatBlissfullyHappy
Studenthadandbeganshootingthestudentswhodidbetterthanhe
did.Usinghistenyearsofarcherylessons,hemethodicallyaimedthe
suctioncuppedarrowsattheindividualstudentsandletfly.The
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studentsatwhomheaimedexperiencedoffensivecontactfromthe
arrows.Whichofthefollowingaboutthestudents’intentistrue?
A. IrateStudentactedwithintentbecauseheactedwiththe
specificpurposeofcausingharmfuloroffensivecontact.
B. TheBlissfullyHappyStudentactedwithintentifareasonable
personwouldhavebeensubstantiallycertainthatshootingthe
arrowsinacrowdedclassroomwouldresultinharmfulor
offensivecontact.
C. BlissfullyHappyStudentdidnotactwithintentbecauseshe
didnotactwiththespecificpurposeofcausingharmfulor
offensivecontact.
D. BlissfullyHappyStudentdidnotactintentionallybecausehis
motivationinshootingthearrowswaslaudatory.
3.
AspartofagameoftruthordareMelissawalkedtowardaperfect
stranger,andwhenshewasabouttenfeetfromthestranger,sheasked
thestrangerthetime.Asthestrangerlookedupfromhiswatch,Melissa
removedanunloadedgunfromherpocketpointeditatthestranger
andpulledthetrigger.Ashesawthis,thestrangeryelledinterror,
jumpedback,andraisedhishands.Melissalaugheduncontrollablyat
thestranger’sreactionandthentoldhimitwasasimpleprankandthe
gunwasunloaded.WillMelissabeliableforassaultorbattery?
A. Melissawillnotbeliableforassaultbecausethegunwasnot
loaded.
B. Melissawillbeliableforassaulteventhoughshewasnot
attemptingtocommitabattery.
C. Melissawillnotbeliableforeitherbatteryorassaultbecauseshe
notcloseenoughtotouchthestrangerwhenshepulledthe
trigger.
D. Melissawillbeliableforbatteryifsheisliableforassaultbecause
onetortcannotoccurwithouttheother.
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