Absent actual or threatened violence, false imprisonment is a usually a misdemeanor under California Penal Code §237. California PC 236 defines false imprisonment as unlawfully detaining or restraining someone without their consent, depriving them of their liberty.California law makes it illegal to restrain, detain or confine someone without their consent. Doing so is the crime of "false imprisonment." California Penal Code § 236 PC defines false imprisonment as unlawfully restraining, detaining, or confining a person against his or her will. 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 is a wobbler offense. This means that a prosecutor can charge you with a misdemeanor or felony. If you are wrongfully imprisoned, you may be able to sue for wrongful imprisonment in California.