Boyd v. Racine Currency Exchange, Inc.

A robber held a gun to customer John Boyd's head at Racine Currency Exchange, Inc. (collectively defendants) and threatened to shoot unless teller Blanche Murphy handed over money or opened the security door; instead, Murphy, protected by bulletproof glass, dropped to the floor behind a partition, and the robber shot and killed Boyd. Boyd's widow sued Murphy and the Exchange for negligence, arguing a proprietor owes a duty to comply with a robber's demands when refusal would put customers at unreasonable risk. The trial court found no such duty existed, but the appellate court reversed, and the Illinois Supreme Court took up the case.