SEN. OLSEN DRIVES TRACTOR INTO CAR, BACKS OUT OF RESPONSIBILITY

A Milwaukeeworld.com special

By Michael Horne

Senator Luther S. Olsen has added one more document into what a Brown County Circuit Court clerk called "the largest file for a small claims case I've ever seen"-- a request to reopen Brown County Case 2006SC007283 and to throw out a $5,120 judgment against the senator from Ripon.
The default judgment was entered January 2nd, 2007, when Olsen, a Berlin Republican who sits on the powerful Joint Committee on Finance, apparently failed to appear in court. His family owns Olsen's Mill, Inc., a giant agricultural products company with alliances with corn farmers (like Luther himself) and ethanol producers (like his brother, Paul Olsen.) [See my previous postings here.]
Olsen's failure to show led the commissioner to rule in favor of Bernice Heimann of Bonduel, who had an unfortunate vehicular encounter with Olsen in November.
According to her complaint, filed on December 4th, 2006, on "11-3-06 at 6:49 p.m. my vehicle, driven by James Case was northbound on C[oun]ty Hwy. U North of Oneida. A tractor driven by Luther S. Olsen pulled into the roadway from a field on the west side of [the] road. He only had headlamps on at this time. He then put his flashing amber lights on. Two vehicles came toward us heading south. We then attempted to pass the tractor on the left side when he turned into a field hitting the entire right side of my car. We entered one ditch, crossed road and stopped in other ditch."
The summons issued to Olsen clearly states that " in addition to filing a written answer, you must also personally appear at the date and time stated. If you do not appear or answer, a judgment may be granted to the plaintiff."
This is exactly what happened, and Olsen's attorney, Cynthia Haney Gilson filed a request to reopen the case on January 4th, 2007. A bunch of legal stuff transpired, and the order to reopen was granted by Commissioner John O. Burdick on January, 30th, 2007. A court trial is scheduled for March 14th, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioners' Courtroom D in Green Bay. Let's see if Luther will jump on his tractor and attend.
After all, $5,000 isn't chicken feed -- well, for Olsen it is chicken feed, and ethanol, and silage, and distilled spirits and all sorts of other corn-based products.
Ms. Gilson did not return a call for comment. Olsen's office said it would not comment on a "non-legislative matter" and suggested I call the court(!)