ARREST ORDER ISSUED FOR RIC FLAIR IN NORTH CAROLINA
By Mike Johnson on 2011-05-26 19:14:10
TNA star Ric Flair was found in civil contempt earlier today during a hearing regarding Flair not adhering to a mediated Settlement Agreement in the lawsuit brought against him by online retailer Highspots.com. An order for Flair's arrest was then issued in the County of Mecklenburg in North Carolina.
According to the order, which was acquired this evening by PWInsider.com, the court found that Flair had agreed in mediation to a Settlement Agreement with Highspots.com and was required to pay them $35,000 as well as sign 300 photos in order to provide restitution for the issues between the two sides. Doing so would end the long-standing legal issues between the two that began when Flair borrowed money from Highspots during a period the two sides were doing business with each other.
Flair, despite signing the agreement to do so, failed to adhere to the terms in a timely manner. Highspots.com then took to Superior Court to enforce. They sided with Highspots and ordered Flair to adhere by 4/29.
At today's hearing, the Court decreed that Flair, who "has the assets and income required" to make the Settlement Agreement instead "willfully violated and continues to willfully violate" the court's mandated order. The court also noted that Flair was doing so despite being "able to comply with the Order" or being "able to to take reasonable measures" towards complying.
The Court ruled that Flair was in "willfull civil contempt of the court" and issued an arrest order, which reads:
"Therefore it is ordered, adjudged and decreed that Defendant Richard Fliehr is hereby held in civil contempt for his failure to comply with the Consent Order to Enforce Settlement and that the Defendant be imprisoned for as long as he remains in civil contempt for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from his date of imprisonment. This imprisonment shall commence on June 27, 2011 without further action of the court."
The court then ruled that Flair could cancel the arrest order by paying Highspots.com the $35,000 he previously agreed to and by signing and returning the 300 photos, which court documents indicate are the hands of Flair's attorneys.
The court also ruled that if Flair was unable to do so, he could also hand over the NWA World championship belt that he had provided to Highspots.com as collateral previously (based on the order, it appears the belt is currently back in Flair's hands) and authorize that they can have the ownership and rights of the belt, in order to sell it off as a means to regain the money owed. That aspect of the order noted that the NWA belt needed to be "free of all liens and encumbrances", which could be an issue for Flair, since there is already one other entity with a lien against him for the belt.
So, it appears Flair will either have to finally pay the Agreement or find himself jailed.
