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Joe Francis a No Show for Court Proceeding
11/20/09 - 12:44 PM

WMBB News Department

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Joseph Francis of Girls Gone Wild did not appear in Bay County Federal Court as ordered by Judge Richard Smoak.  Francis attorney presented the court with a note from a doctor in Mexico stating that he has an inner ear infection and vertigo and can not travel at this time.

Friday’s hearing was at the request of the plaintiffs’ attorney in a civil suit involving Francis.  Four parties are suing Francis for alleged damages caused to them from the participation in sexually explicit videos that were included in Girls Gone Wild tapes while they were underage.

The attorney for the girls was asking for Judge Smoak to make a default judgement in the court case dating back to 2008.  He says Francis is being uncooperative during proceedings. 

He claims that Francis; would not reveal surveillance of plaintiffs he claimed to have citing attorney client privilege, said he had documentation to prove other members of the Girls Gone Wild operation were responsible but would not produce any materials, frequently used attorney client privilege or claimed impeachment evidence to avoid testifying and claimed to know nothing about his finances or where to get the information from.

It was anticipated that Francis attorney would provide the court with the alleged surveillance of the plaintiffs but he did not.  The attorney says that he has not seen it and if it did exist it would be too late to enter it into evidence.

As far as Francis net worth attorneys for both sides say they are trying to confirm a TMZ report that the IRS filed a tax lien of about $33 million against Francis this week.

Judge Smoak says these things should only benefit the case for the plaintiffs.  He is ruling to keep the trial but it is being moved to February.  He advised Francis’ attorney to keep him up to date on his illness.