Steve Wynn Seeking $12 Million From Porn Producer Joe Francis In Slander Trial (by the AP)

[The Dave Levine Show]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_STEVE_WYNN_SLANDER_TRIAL?...

 

The Dave Levine Show supports Steve Wynn in this case.

 

Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild porn fame, has been in trouble with the law and has, in our opinion, "bought" his way out of some real jams. I've read some supportive pieces on Francis, but here is the truth, Wikipedia-style. Decide for yourself if it's in fact "the truth at

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Francis

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In June 2007, Francis and his company were sued on charges that images were used without the subject's permission.^[7] The plaintiff, Ashley Alexandra Dupré dropped the suit after Francis released footage showing her agreeing to be filmed.

 

In 2008, four women sued Francis' company in Florida for allegedly filming them while underage.^[8] Francis, a non-lawyer who represented himself pro se (as his own lawyer), won an eight day jury trial in US Federal Court, with an all-female jury ruling that the plaintiffs were not entitled to any damages, a complete victory for Francis and the companies.^[9]

 

In 2012, Clark County, Nevada judge Mark Denton ruled Joe Francis damaged the reputation of Steven Wynn as a result of Francis' public comments about "exposing how exactly Mr. Wynn deceives his high end customers" and awarded Wynn $7.5 million in damages.

 

In Panama City Beach, Florida, during spring break 2003, officials attempted to prevent filming of Girls Gone Wild videos on the beach. Francis sued the officials, claiming violation of his First Amendment rights, and got them to settle and back down.^[11] Francis was subsequently arrested by the same officials in the prior matter and released on a $165,000 bond. There were 71 various charges. Police confiscated his private jet and other property.^[12] At a July 27, 2006 hearing, the judge disallowed most of the evidence,^[13] and on January 4, 2007 dismissed most of the charges, ruling that the evidence did not support the allegations, and the seized assets were returned. Francis pleaded guilty to 18 U.S.C. § 2257 record keeping violations and was fined $1.6 million and sentenced to perform community service.^[14] Francis also allegedly offered a guard one hundred dollars for bottled water and possessed medications in the jail cell. Francis pleaded guilty to charges related to having contraband in his cell and was sentenced to time served (339 days) and more than $60,000 in fines and costs.

 

On April 11, 2007, Francis was indicted by a federal grand jury in Reno, Nevada on two counts of tax evasion^[16]

 

Francis was charged with filing a fraudulent corporate tax return for a company for which he allegedly is the sole shareholder. The United States Department of Justice says that Francis claimed over $20 million in false business deductions on his corporate tax returns during 2002 and 2003.^[17] The Los Angeles Times quoted his attorney, Jan L. Handzlik, as saying: "The government has chosen to make a criminal case out of what we believe to be, at most, a civil tax dispute..."^[16]

 

On April 22, 2008, a change of venue was made to Los Angeles, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.^[18] At a hearing on July 21, 2008, Francis pleaded not guilty to felony tax evasion. Francis' attorney, Robert Bernhoft, said that tax returns for the businesses were prepared and filed by a former corporate accountant without being shown to Francis. Bernhoft said that when the accountant left the companies, the accountant contacted the IRS to report the accounting mistakes with the hope of collecting a bonus from the government Tax Whistleblower Program.^[19]

 

In September 2009, Francis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor counts of filing false tax returns and bribing Nevada jail workers. The plea agreement reportedly requires him to pay $250,000 in restitution. He received credit for time served, and one year probation.^[20]

 

On November 5, 2009, U.S. District Judge S. James Otero accepted Francis’ deal on the grounds that a key witness withheld information from prosecutors.

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