Texas Penal Code Practice

To establish the legal definition of "false imprisonment," it is essential to demonstrate that an individual’s movement was restricted without legal authority. This means that one person unlawfully confines another, restricting their freedom of movement in a way that is not justified by law or consent. In Texas, for instance, the act of false imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally or knowingly restrains another person without that person's consent and without legal justification.

The absence of legal authority indicates that the confinement was not based on any legitimate reasoning or lawful power, making the restriction unlawful. Other options focus on consent, voluntary compliance, or awareness of rights—none of which are relevant to establishing false imprisonment. Consent or voluntary actions of the individual are contrary to the fundamental nature of false imprisonment, which hinges on an absence of consent as a core element of the offense. Therefore, proving that movement was restricted against legal authority is critical in substantiating a claim of false imprisonment.