Davis v. City of Syracuse, 66 N.Y.2d 840 (1985)

An arrest made under a valid warrant is privileged, providing a defense against a claim of false imprisonment, even if the warrant was issued based on incorrect information, as long as the officer arrests the person described in the warrant and the description reasonably matches the arrestee.

Summary

David Davis sued the City of Syracuse for false arrest and imprisonment. He was arrested pursuant to a warrant that, while valid on its face, contained errors regarding his age and was based on a misidentification. The New York Court of Appeals reversed the lower courts, holding that the arrest was privileged because the officer arrested the person named in the warrant at the address specified, and the description reasonably matched Davis. The court emphasized that the error was in the issuance of the warrant, not in its execution, thus the officer acted appropriately.

Facts

Earl Casler reported an assault to Syracuse police, identifying the assailant as