A false arrest is one way of committing false imprisonment. To prove false arrest, a person must prove three elements.In this blog, we'll discuss how wrongful arrests happen and explore what you can do if a police officer unlawfully arrested you. The plaintiff's claim in a warrantless false arrest lawsuit arose from a sheriff s deputy s visit to her house to check on the welfare of her daughter. False imprisonment occurs when you unlawfully deprive another person of his or her personal liberty. You can not sue for false imprisonment for being found not guilty at trial but later found guilty on appeal. Once you show that you were arrested without a warrant, the officer has to prove that there was probable cause. 8. If someone in your home is on probation or parole, it's another way police can search your house without a warrant. The value of a false arrest and 3 hours in jail will probably not exceed the costs of bringing a federal civil rights lawsuit. Simply put, the damages in this case are not very great, relative to other police accountability cases.