Bag it and Book ?em

Fayetteville lawyer Dan Ivy was recently found in contempt of court by Benton County Circuit Judge Tom Keith. But what happened next resembled a scene right out of the former television series Night Court.

Ivy is representing truck driver Jerry Otis against Wal-Mart billionaire Helen Walton. Otis is seeking damages from a Feb. 19, 1999, traffic accident in Bentonville is which she allegedly struck Otis’ dump truck. Walton was hospitalized with several injuries from the wreck, while Otis reportedly told police at the scene he was not injured.

Then things changed.

In the original suit, Ivy asked for $65 million in damages. Keith asked him to lower the amount, but Ivy raised it to $6.5 billion. Ignoring Keith’s order to be quiet during a hearing, Ivy was handcuffed and the bailiff began unloading items from Ivy’s pockets. One lawyer said Ivy had more pockets than a paratrooper, and that cell phones and keys and other items were stacked on the table after he was thoroughly frisked.

Keith sent a court clerk for a box to store Ivy’s belongings, but the clerk returned having only been successful in finding a Wal-Mart shopping bag.