California Penal Code § 236 PC defines false imprisonment as unlawfully restraining, detaining, or confining a person against his or her will. Absent actual or threatened violence, false imprisonment is a usually a misdemeanor under California Penal Code §237.Imprisonment claim requires proof of: an intentional confinement of the person; without the person's consent; At its most basic, false imprisonment in California is "the unlawful violation of the personal liberty of another. Find an attorney immediately from a different county than the one you were arrested. Make sure they specialize in police misconduct OR have a lot of guts. The plaintiff in a false imprisonment action must prove that the defendant proximately caused the injuries for which the plaintiff seeks damages. California Penal Code 236 PC describes the crime of false imprisonment as unlawfully depriving another person of their personal liberty. Under California Penal Code Section 236, false imprisonment occurs when a person is detained, restrained, or confined without consent. In California, Penal Code 236 defines false imprisonment as the wrongful restraining, confining, or detaining of a person without their consent.