Ready for the answers to the "Law in a Flash" questions?
Criminal law: No. India was under no duty to act, believe it or not. Her intense dislike for Ima is not relevant, since bad thoughts alone are not punishable.
Contracts: No, because Dorothy's statement was not an offer, just a statement of intent. To constitute a contract, there must be an offer by one person to another.
Torts: Jefferson. While battery requires a harmful or offensive contact, the backslap doesn't qualify since the gesture is a common one in our society and, generally, is not an considered offensive act.
Did you miss a couple? If so, it's probably because you decided the situation based on the Golden Rule, the American neighborly way, or common-sense as opposed to black-letter law. Understandable.
