Brawling bunny case could hop on to cable TV court show

What do you get when you cross an Easter Bunny, daytime television drama and a Lee County mom who just wanted a holiday photo?

Staff for a cable TV operation thinks the answer is interesting TV fare. A show may want the mom to square off against a Lee County couple accused of brawling with her in April after a mall Easter Bunny photo stand closed early.

“Judge Alex,” one of the myriad of daily courtroom shows aired on cable, is interested in seeing if its host can resolve the case of the brawling bunny.

Fort Myers resident Arthur McClure, 22, and his wife and manager, Crystal P. Frechette, 26, were arrested April 15 and charged by Fort Myers police with battery and breach of the peace. They were arrested after a fight that day at Edison Mall in Fort Myers.

Cape Coral resident Erin Johansson, 29, reported that when the Easter Bunny photo line at the mall closed 10 minutes earlier than planned, parents and children became upset. She reported that she was attacked by McClure — in costume but without the head — and Frechette.

“As a result of reading your article, I am interested in speaking to the plaintiff and defendants in the ‘Easter Bunny Brawl.’ I’m interested in possibly getting them to resolve their case on our show,” Maxine Haynes, an associate producer with “Judge Alex,” wrote to the Daily News.

Haynes declined a telephone interview, referring questions to the show’s supervising producer, Kathy Sapp. Repeated messages were left for Sapp, but she was unavailable for comment.

But prosecutors aren’t hopping on the televised dispute settlement bandwagon.

“Any show I’ve seen has done civil mediation, not try to resolve criminal cases,” said Assistant State Attorney Larry Justham, chief of the State Attorney’s county court division in Lee County. “Third party attempts are not legal and binding.”

Battery and breach of the peace are criminal misdemeanors. Prosecutors can’t talk with defendants without their lawyers present. That wouldn’t work for TV, Justham explained.

“I cannot see it,” he added with a slight chuckle. But, “I think it would be very interesting.”

McClure and Frechette could not be reached for comment. A message was left for their defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Penelope A. Michalakis, but she was unavailable for comment.

A message was left for Erin Johansson, but she was unavailable for comment.

Justham said he’s never heard of such TV court shows wanting to try a Lee County criminal case.

“I think those shows are meant to entertain around the realm of civil suits,” he said.

In the Naples-Fort Myers region, “Judge Alex” may be seen on WB affiliate WTVK-46 at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The judge, Alex Ferrer, is a former Miami-Dade police officer and former Miami-Dade County judge.