YOU BE THE JUDGE WRITING PROBLEM Dominion Bank owned a large office building in Washington, D.C. Because it planned to sell the building, the bank stopped leasing new space and five of the 13 floors became vacant. Tenants complained to the bank that vagrants were using the empty spaces for drug deals and prostitution.

Jane Doe, a secretary who worked in the building, was dragged to an empty, unlocked floor and raped. She sued the bank. A security expert testified that all vacant offices and floors should have been sealed off. Is the bank liable for Doe’s injuries? Argument for Jane Doe: The bank created a dangerous situation by gradually abandoning a commercial building. The bank should be held to a “reasonable person” standard, one that it clearly failed to meet. Argument for Dominion Bank: The bank is not a police force.

The bank’s obligation was to keep the rented premises in good working order, which it did.