In the case of Bates v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 413 F. Supp. 2d 763 (S.D. Miss. 2006), the plaintiff, William Bates, alleged that he was wrongfully detained and accused of trespassing by Wal-Mart employees after he entered the store to return a defective television he had purchased. Bates claimed that the employees refused to provide him with a refund or exchange for the television and told him to leave the store. When he refused, the employees called the police, who issued him a citation for trespassing.
Wal-Mart argued that the employees had a legal right to detain Bates under Mississippi's shopkeeper's privilege, which allows store owners and employees to detain someone they reasonably believe has committed a theft or other unlawful act on the premises. However, the Court rejected this defense, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support a reasonable belief that Bates had committed any theft or other unlawful act.
Furthermore, the Court noted that the employees had told Bates to leave the store before he even had an opportunity to present his receipt or explain the situation, which suggested that the employees had not exercised their shopkeeper's privilege reasonably. The Court held that a jury could reasonably find that Bates had been unlawfully detained, and therefore, Wal-Mart's motion for summary judgment was denied. The case was allowed to proceed to trial, where a jury would decide whether Wal-Mart was liable for false imprisonment and other claims brought by Bates.