Way to go America

Updated: Girls Gone Wild creator ordered to jail

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein at 7:28 AM on April 9, 2007.

Lindsay Beyerstein: Sleazeball can't keep his mouth shut...

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The creator of the Girls Gone Wild video series, Joe Francis, has been sentenced to jail for contempt of court because he threatened women trying to sue him:

Los Angeles -- The millionaire creator of the Girls Gone Wild video series has been ordered to jail in connection with a lawsuit alleging that his film crews pressured girls to appear in sexually explicit situations, reports said Friday. US District Court Judge Richard Smoak issued the order following the breakdown of court-ordered mediation between Francis and lawyers for the seven plaintiffs, who claimed that Francis had threatened them during the negotiations and hurled obscenities at them.

Smoak ruled that Francis' behaviour had placed him in contempt of court. A lawyer for Francis has appealed the jail order while Francis himself risks a further contempt judgment with his withering comments about the judge.

"This judge has gone as far as to call me the devil and an evildoer," Francis said. "It is a case of a judge gone wild." [DPA]

More details here.

Francis has a history of erratic and aggressive behavior. Back in August, LA Times writer Claire Hoffman alleged that Joe Francis attacked her while she was reporting on him for the paper.

Update: Looks like Francis is in meta-contempt of court for refusing to show up to start serving his initial contempt sentence.

Update 2: "Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis was arrested Tuesday in Florida, PEOPLE has confirmed..." More.

Lindsay Beyerstein a New York writer blogging at Majikthise.

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Here's my analysis of the situation [Report this comment] Posted by: fifthworld on Apr 9, 2007 7:49 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] What a shithead! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Well, about time [Report this comment] Posted by: Jesse on Apr 9, 2007 7:56 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Really, given this guy's behavior, both reported and rumored, it isn't such a surprise. I'm almost shocked this took so damn long, given the trail of lawsuits he leaves behind him. Most have settled, but the fact is it has to cost his company millions over time. Too bad it isn't public, I'd love to see his financial statements. (I have a sneaking suspicion he is of the Trump school of implied wealth). He also has violated several state statutes (in Texas and Nevada, IIRC). And yes, I'm avoiding discussion of certain gender issues here. It's too damn long and tiring. (I don't pretend to understand what drives some woman to throw off her top at the offer of a T-shirt, something tells me it's the same impulse that drives people to do anything to get on TV. I mean, intoxication can't be the whole story -- loads of people I know get drunk and do dumb things, but none of the women I knew in college 20 years ago did this kind of stuff. Or did I miss something?) Whatever. To paraphrase, we all get the pop culture we deserve. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] wait.. [Report this comment] Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Apr 9, 2007 8:49 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] He didn't show up to do his jail time? Wow... way to make a simple little thing that would have gone away when the trial was over into something that is likely going to get you some much more serious jail-time. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Jerk [Report this comment] Posted by: oregoncharles on Apr 9, 2007 9:10 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] So he's an utter jerk, and stupid as well. Why do we care? It's not like it's a surprise. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] "Hurled obscenities"? [Report this comment] Posted by: Ian MacLeod on Apr 9, 2007 4:58 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] He should've maybe tossed 'em underhand, nice and slow-like? If he did actually threaten, however, I think that's illegal, is it not? And how did they get into that position anyhow - not that anything HE did is anyone's fault but his own - and it sounds like he has quite a few. Ladies, at least take along a bodyguard... And if the judge called him a evildoer and so on, it HAD to be for the threats, right? I mean, taking pics of pretty, naked young women couldn't be all THAT evil, could it? Now, if he had been talking to George Bush or one of his cronies, THAT would make sense. Ian [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] This is ridiculous [Report this comment] Posted by: UnEasyOne on Apr 9, 2007 10:12 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] One party is told he must settle or go to jail? Where's the fairness in that? How can a fair settlement be negotiated on that basis? Is the Judge even interested in a fair settlenent or just punishing the evildoer? The byass of the article is obvious in the reading, yet I got all my information from my reading of it and reached the conclusion that both the writer and the judge are more interested in punishing an evildoer who showed titties on film than fairness or justice. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Way to go America [Report this comment] Posted by: disgusted on Apr 10, 2007 1:13 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I am so glad this heinous criminal is off our streets. Now our court system is free to apprehend and punish those treasonous villians who brought us 9/11 and the Iraq war. They too are charged with crimes against women--murder. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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