To secure a conviction for the base level or misdemeanor Second Degree offense, Penal Law 135.05, you must restrain another person. The main difference between the two is that false arrest requires an arrest, but, false imprisonment only requires unlawful detention.The NYPD has prepared important information on the criminal justice process in New York City so you can become more familiar with many procedures. King, 16 P.3d 807 (Colo. Summary judgment was properly granted on the basis of qualified immunity for police officers in a lawsuit against them for false arrest and excessive force. This may be known as unlawful imprisonment in the first degree and is detailed in the penal code for your state. To get a criminal court order of protection, the police must arrest the person or you may go to the Court Dispute Referral Center. If you have been arrested or imprisoned wrongly, contact a law firm that specializes in false arrest immediately. ' Are police officers ever reprimanded for false arrests which leads to nothing in the court? No it is not necessarily a false arrest.