SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Torts keyed to Robertson
Riss v. City of New York
Citation:
New York Court of Appeals, 1968. 22 N.Y.2d 579, 240 N.E.2d 860.Facts
The Plaintiff, Linda Riss, was terrorized for over six months by a rejected suitor, Burton Pugach. Pugach repeatedly threatened to have the Plaintiff killed or maimed if she did not yield to him. In fear for her life, she went to the police department, the Defendant. Despite repeated pleas for help the police treated her with indifference. Whatever help the Plaintiff was given was not equivalent to the identifiable threat and danger she was facing. The Plaintiff was later engaged to another man. At a party for their engagement, the Plaintiff received a phone call threatening that it was her “last chance.” Upset and distraught, the Plaintiff called the police begging for help, which they refused. The next day, Pugach followed through on his threat in the very way he had predicted and hired a thug to throw lye in the Plaintiff’s face. The Plaintiff was blinded in one eye, lost a good portion of her vision in the other, and her face was permanently scarred. Following the assault, the police concluded thee was some basis for the Plaintiff’s fears and for the next three years she was given around the clock protection.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.
Topic Resources
Topic Refresher Course
Negligence: Duty