Tort Bunnies: Confrontation

Tort Bunnies Two more bunnies!

Principal Case

first button last button

Share

Notes

first button last button

June 11, 2012. Previously on Tort Bunnies.

The 6th Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right "to confront the witnesses against him," which generally means the right to cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses.

Can using a laser against someone be battery? I think so. Battery requires "harmful contact." Direct contact isn't required. Indirect contact -- e.g. throwing a ball at someone -- is sufficient. Even fine particulate matter -- e.g. smoke -- constitutes enough physical contact to be battery. Lasers emit photons, which are particles with mass (also waves, but whatever). Therefore, you can commit battery by laser vision.

Update: Or maybe not -- see Jamie's comment below.

Comments

first button last button