See If You Can Answer This MBE Question!
A store clerk asked a customer to accompany him to a back room. The customer did so and upon reaching the back room, the store clerk asked the customer several questions about past shoplifting incidents. The customer did not know anything about these incidents and asked to leave, but the clerk refused and locked the door. The clerk then asked more questions and threatened to call the cops if the customer did not admit to shoplifting. Finally, after several minutes, the clerk gave up and allowed to customer to leave. In an action for false imprisonment against the store, will the customer prevail?
(A)No, because after several shoplifting incidents, the clerk was acting reasonably in questioning the store’s customers.
(B)No, because the clerk allowed the customer to leave when he was finished questioning him.
(C)Yes, because the customer was detained for an unreasonably long period of time.
(D)Yes, because the clerk did not have any reasonable grounds to believe that the customer had shoplifted.