Multistate Bar Examination Practice Question

The correct answer is based on the legal doctrine that permits individuals, under certain circumstances, to use reasonable force to protect property from being harmed or unlawfully interfered with. In this case, the guard’s action of pulling the intruder down from the window and restraining them was reasonable and proportional to the threat posed by the intruder’s attempt to unlawfully enter and potentially harm the property. While using force to protect property is legitimate, excessive force or actions causing unnecessary harm would not be protected under this doctrine. Incorrect answers fail to fully consider the proportionality and circumstances permitting the use of force. For example, merely lacking ownership of the property (Answer 1) does not negate the privileged right to act in defense of the property. Similarly, while physically restraining the intruder may seem significant (Answer 2), such restraint can be permissible if reasonable and necessary. Answer 3 is incorrect because it overstates the legal right, misrepresenting the nuanced limits to what security personnel may do to protect someone else’s property.