Ten-year-old Claire Hunt says the owner of a dog that bit her is ignoring her injuries.
The dog's owner says Claire shouldn't have been on his property and wasn't hurt that badly.
And a tough-talking Hollywood judge wants to settle the matter.
Claire's parents, Jon and Nancy Hunt, of Lawrence, got a letter last week from a producer for the "Judge Judy" TV show asking them whether they would drop a small-claims suit against the dog's owner, come to Hollywood and have the case resolved on the air. But Claire, her parents and the dog's owner, Jeffery Frye, aren't sure they want to face a judge known for silencing litigants with phrases such as "Baloney!" and "I'm the boss, applesauce."
"She really shows that she has a lot of power," said Claire, who is home-schooled. "The people on the show stay really calm. I don't know what I would do."
A scout for "Judge Judy" regularly comes to Douglas County District Court to look for real-life cases to put on the show. Last month she discovered "Hunt vs. Frye."
Claire and her family say Frye's dog, a mixed breed weighing about 30 pounds, ran after Claire and bit her on the leg March 24 when she was playing at a friend's house. Claire had walked onto Frye's unfenced lawn in the 1000 block of Columbine Court to pick up a tennis ball.
"I was crying," Claire said. "I was really scared because I didn't know what to do. ... You can still see a scar."
The bite left a puncture wound that required a trip to the emergency room and ruined a pair of Claire's blue jeans, the suit alleges. The family claims Frye slammed the door on Claire's father when he went to talk about the bite, ignored a letter from their attorney and has refused to return their phone calls.
Claire Hunt, 10, has been invited to appear on the "Judge Judy" television show to settle a lawsuit filed by her parents against the owner of a dog that bit her last year. Hunt is pictured next to her television airing an episode of the show Friday.
"All I want to do is just talk to him, one way or another," Claire said. "It doesn't have to be through court. I just want to talk to him and see why he's not doing anything."
On Oct. 14, the family filed suit against Frye asking for $340 to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses and a new pair of jeans. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9.
"The kid shouldn't have been in my yard," said Frye, a financial adviser. "It didn't even break her skin. She didn't need stitches."
Frye said he was filing a counter-claim asking the Hunts to pay the $250 it cost to board his dog after it was ordered quarantined. Claire said the dog chased her off of Frye's property before biting her. He disputes that.
"The dog didn't leave the yard. She was standing in our yard crying," he said. "I'm sure the mom helped her with her version. It's a little kid."
6News video: Small claims court case attracts attention of television showFrye said he was in the middle of a national teleconference when Claire's father rang his doorbell, and that he didn't slam the door. He said he gave Hunt a business card and asked him to call later, but decided not to communicate with them when their attorney got involved.
When "Judge Judy" contacted Frye, he initially said he would consider going on the show. Each party would get airline tickets, a hotel stay and a $100 appearance fee.
Frye said it was a tempting offer because, no matter who won, the show would pay the claim. But Frye said he later realized he had scheduling conflicts, and he predicted the case would be resolved in the local court.
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