Joe Francis Ordered to Pay Millions to Vegas Casino

Allie @ Gone Hollywood | Tuesday, August 18, 2009

“Girls Gone Wild” producer Joe Francis went wild in a court deposition this year, and he’s being handed a hefty bill as a result.

Unimpressed with his antics, District Judge Michelle Leavitt ruled in favor of Wynn Las Vegas and ordered the soft-porn video mogul to pay the Strip casino a $2 million gambling debt, which, with interest and court costs, could soar to $3 million.

In court papers, the Wynn’s lawyers argued that Francis improperly asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer even the most innocuous questions during the nearly daylong deposition in February.

And several times during the deposition Francis openly passed gas, further disrespecting the legal proceeding, the Wynn lawyers charged. Said Wynn’s lawyer,

“As the court will see from reviewing the video clips of Francis’ deposition, his utter contempt for the judicial system is apparent, including his repeated attempts to disrupt the deposition with flatulence.”

Francis, who is expected to appeal Leavitt’s decision, is still facing felony charges in Las Vegas stemming from his failure to pay back the Wynn, and he has a trial pending on the tax evasion charges in California.

source: ‘Girls Gone Wild’ producer ordered to pay Wynn millions [las vegas sun]

Joe Francis Ordered to Pay Millions to Vegas Casino

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