Assault –


[1] Elements and Case Citations

(1) Defendant made an intentional, unlawful offer of corporal injury to plaintiff by force, or force unlawfully directed toward plaintiff’s person;

(2) Defendant’s actions created a fear of imminent peril; and

(3) Defendant had the apparent present ability to effectuate the attempted action.

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Florida State Courts

First District: Lay v. Kremer, 411 So. 2d 1347, 1349 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982)

Third District: Boschetti v. Landon, 660 So. 2d 365, 366 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)

Fourth District: Sullivan v. Atlantic Federal Savings & Loan Assoc., 454 So. 2d 52, 54 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984), rev. denied, 461 So. 2d 116 (Fla. 1985)

Supreme Court: Winn & Lovett Grocery Co. v. Archer, 171 So. 214, 217 (Fla. 1936)

Second District: : McDonald v. Ford, 223 So.2d 553, 555 (Fla. 2d DCA 1969)

Florida Federal Courts

Southern District:Doe v. Epstein, 611 F.Supp.2d 1339, 1343 (S.D. Fla. 2009)

Middle District: Martinez v. Pavex Corp., 422 F.Supp.2d 1284, 1297 (M.D. Fla. 2006)

Northern District: : Colony Ins. Co. v. Barnes, 410 F.Supp.2d 1137, 1142 (N.D. Fla. 2005)

References

Restatement (Second) of Torts § 21 (1965)

[2] Defenses to Claim for Assault

(1) Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.110(d) (pleading affirmative defenses), and other standard defenses. See § 60.

(2) Statute of Limitations: § 95.11(3)(o), Fla. Stat. (four years).

(3) Self defense is an absolute bar to liability for assault and battery when defendant used force reasonably necessary in response to plaintiff’s actions. See Etcher v. Blitch, 381 So. 2d 1119, 1119 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979), cert. denied, 386 So. 2d 636 (Fla. 1980); Price v. Gray’s Guard Serv., Inc., 298 So. 2d 461, 464 (Fla. 1st DCA 1974), cert. denied, 305 So. 2d 208 (Fla. 1974).