How much is a pair of pants worth? How about $65 million?

This example of the abuse in our legal system is provided by a Washington, D.C., lawyer (actually an administrative law judge by the name of Roy Pearson) who filed a $65 million lawsuit against a small dry cleaning business because they lost a pair of his pants. The civil trial is set for June.

Our legal system is out of control and in desperate need of reform. Even if this frivolous lawsuit is dismissed, this small family business will have spent thousands of dollars for legal expenses. According to data from the Pacific Research Institute, litigation costs the American economy $865 billion per year; that's 6.6 percent of our total gross domestic product. Please understand that American economy means you and me. We pay for it every day because of prices inflated to defend against these predatory lawsuits.

If you restrict the flow of money to the trial bar, the lawsuit industry will start to shrivel. But this will only occur if the voters make it an issue. Since a substantial number of elected officials are trial lawyers, only a clarion call from the electorate can bring about change.

After all, a lawyer/judge with $65 million pants is just too big for his britches.