Legal Authority Flashcards
7 cards from real ACT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal Authority flashcards as text
Under Pennsylvania law, when may an Act 235 certified security officer use deadly force in defense of another person?
Answer: When the officer reasonably believes deadly force is immediately necessary to protect the other person from death or serious bodily injury
Under 18 Pa. C.S. § 506, deadly force may be used to protect another when the actor reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to that person.
Which Pennsylvania statute governs justification for use of force in self-protection?
Answer: 18 Pa. C.S. § 505
18 Pa. C.S. § 505 is the self-protection statute in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code that defines when force is justifiable for self-defense.
An Act 235 officer working at a private employer's property observes a trespasser who refuses to leave. What is the officer's MOST appropriate initial action?
Answer: Order the person to leave and call local law enforcement if they refuse
The proportional response to a non-threatening trespasser is a verbal order to vacate and, if refused, notification of police — deadly force is never appropriate for mere trespass.
Pennsylvania's 'Castle Doctrine' as codified in Act 10 of 2011 eliminates the duty to retreat when an individual is in which location?
Answer: Their dwelling, residence, or vehicle
Pennsylvania's Castle Doctrine removes the duty to retreat when a person is in their dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle before using force against an intruder.
Under Act 235, the authority a certified officer possesses while on duty is best described as that of a:
Answer: Private citizen with additional weapons authorization
Act 235 certification authorizes carrying lethal weapons but does not grant police powers; the officer retains the legal standing of a private citizen with enhanced weapons authority.
When is deadly force justified to prevent the commission of a felony under Pennsylvania law?
Answer: Only when the felony involves actual or threatened use of deadly force and retreat is not safe
Deadly force to prevent a felony is justified only when the felony involves deadly force and the actor cannot safely retreat (18 Pa. C.S. § 507).
Which legal concept requires that the force used by a security officer must match the level of threat presented?
Answer: Proportionality
Proportionality requires that the degree of force employed corresponds to and does not exceed the degree of threat faced.