False imprisonment can occur if someone is restrained for a very brief amount of time, and there is no minimum amount of time that must be met. Learn the difference between the tort and the crime of false imprisonment, the elements of a claim, and how it differs from false arrest and kidnapping.An individual sue for false imprisonment if they are arrested but not charged within a certain amount of time. Since false imprisonment is a disorderly persons offense, the accused is exposed to a maximum sentence of a six-month period of incarceration. False imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally and illegally restrains another person's ability to move freely. 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. False imprisonment could lead to misdemeanor or felony charges. If convicted, fines, jail time, probation, or even prison time could result. If the wrong person is sitting in prison for a serious violent crime, the real perpetrator may still be out there endangering the public.