NEWS
UPDATE: Joe Francis' trial rescheduled
WJHG News Staff
Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis' scheduled trial in a local federal court has been moved back from January 4th to February 22nd.
Francis was supposed to be here in court Friday, but his attorney says Francis is under the weather and couldn't make the trip.
Francis' attorney Rick Batemen presented Judge Richard Smoak with a doctor's order saying his client suffered an inner ear infection during a recent trip to Mexico, and cannot fly.
Friday's hearing dealt with attorneys' motions filed on-behalf of Francis and four- women who are suing him.
The woman claim gone wild crews videotaped them nude or in sexual situations when they were underage during tapings in Panama City Beach in 2000, 2001, and 2003.
The women's attorney asked for a default judgment, Francis wants the case dismissed.
The plaintiff's attorneys accused Francis of acting belligerent during his last deposition. Judge Smoak refused to issue the default judgment, saying Francis answered all the questions during depositions.
The two sides spent most of the day arguing about Francis' financial statements. The plaintiff's attorneys claim Francis has withheld records that would document his net worth.
Bateman says Francis has supplied every single document. The information could help plaintiffs establish a punitive damage award amount.
But Judge Smoak didn't seem to believe Francis' net worth had anything to do with this case.
"I think it was quite clear the court has been critical of the plaintiff's methodology about seeking discovery. They were not granted a continuous based upon their motion. They were not granted a default judgment. This case will go to trial," Bateman said.
Francis' legal woes don't end here.
The Internal Revenue Service has slapped a thirty-four- million dollar tax lien on Francis and his Girls Gone Wild empire.
The IRS Says Francis failed to pay a little more than seventeen million in 2001, over eleven million in 2002, and almost five million in 2003. Authorities have also seized more than one-hundred-million dollars in his cash accounts.
In an interview with the entertainment website TMZ.com, Francis denies owing anything to the IRS and says this is “total retaliation for me beating them in court".
We're told Francis could file for bankruptcy which could push his trial in Panama City back even further.
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