You guys are going to rip me a new one, but Joe Francis had a point when he said that he was being unfairly prosecuted in Florida. Note that I am not saying he is blameless, that he didn't rape a girl, that he isn't a predatory douche, or that he shouldn't have to pay steep fines and do years of backbreaking community service. I am also not claiming that he isn't a sociopath.
Francis was in jail indefinitely for talking back to a judge
He wasn't being prosecuted for raping that girl that didn't come forward or attacking the LA Times journalist. He was being prosecuted for putting minors in titty films who he said claimed they were older. And even though the guy is richer than sin from getting girls drunk and convincing them to flash their boobs in exchange for a t-shirt with his logo on it, that doesn't mean he should be put in jail for nearly a year for contempt of court. He was sentenced to jail in April of last for talking back to a judge during a civil lawsuit, and wasn't allowed to be let out on bail during his appeal.
Judge who put Francis in jail for talking back had ties to the case against him, and to the sheriff's department that Francis sued for seizing his stuff
And the Florida prosecutor that put Francis in jail indefinitely for swearing in court had direct ties to the lawyer who was suing Francis in the multi-million dollar civil suit for using minors in his films. It's pretty clear that he had an axe to grind.
Judge Smoak is the ex-law partner of Ross McCloy, one of the lawyers seeking millions of dollars from Francis for the women in the case. They were both partners in a law firm called Harrison, Sale, Smoak and McCloy. Interestingly, Judge Smoak’s other law partner was Franklin Harrison, who was the attorney that represented the sheriff’s department when Francis successfully sued the sheriff’s department and won his jet back.
[From MeetJoeFrancis.com]
Instead of serving his time in the Panama City, Florida prison, where Francis was taunted by murderers, was said to be "weeping uncontrollably" and was busted for trying to smuggle in prescription drugs and bribe a guard, he chose to go to jail in Nevada, where he was wanted on federal tax evasion charges. He could have easily been bailed out of Nevada's Washoe county detention center, but would have been immediately extradited to Florida. In Nevada he had phone and Internet privileges and a cushier jail experience.
So now Francis is out of jail in Nevada without fear of being extradited to Florida as he copped a plea. He will also get his stuff back that was seized in Florida:
Joe Francis has just finished a court appearance in Panama City, Florida, and he's a free man, after agreeing to a plea deal that will keep him out of jail -- and sources tell TMZ that Joe will be back in L.A. as early as tonight.
TMZ has learned that Francis has plead no contest to the charges of filming underage girls, and has been sentenced to time served. What's more, "Girls Gone Wild" can't film in the area for three years. Bay County, we're told, will return Joe's brand new Ferrari, and $60,000 that they confiscated from him last year.
Joe tells TMZ, "I am happy to be done with Bay County." He's been battling these charges since 2003.
[From TMZ.com]
Still facing tax evasion charges
Joe still faces federal tax evasion charges and I hope they run him into the ground. I also hope he doesn't show his wide-mouthed mug all over LA now, but that seems inevitable. His celebrity friends were quick to distance themselves from him, and I wonder if he learned his lesson that Paris, Lindsay and company didn't give a shit about him once he was in trouble. He'll probably forgive them quickly for the sake of being able to get into decent nightclubs.
The guy needs to pay his taxes and should probably go to jail for that, and he's surely a creep, but going to jail for 11 months for making titty films and talking back to a judge seems like enough punishment.
Francis' tax evasion case is set to start on April 29. He should enjoy his freedom while he has it, because he could get up to 10 years for that case.
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