‘Inmates Gone Wild’ May Be Future for Joe Francis

By Mark Hoerrner

You can call him the Emperor of the Topless, the King of Late Night Sleaze Videos, but soon, you may have to call him "inmate."

Allegedly trying to get to a Final Four game in Atlanta, Joe Francis, founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" video operation, left Panama City, Fla. on Saturday after changing what plaintiffs in a suit against him called an "iron-clad" mediation agreement.

The case in Florida goes back several years, originating with accusations by seven underage women that he had filmed them in 2003 during the making of a Girls Gone Wild Spring Break video. Typically, women are asked to bare their breasts, backside or genitalia for the camera. While the videos seem sophomoric, Francis reportedly earns $30 million annually from the enterprise.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Smoak found Francis in contempt of court because of a two-minute tirade during which Francis screamed insults and derided the plaintiffs just prior to two days of court-ordered mediation.

Smoak said Francis was obviously not going to mediate in good faith and ordered the mogul to report to jail. Smoak then rescinded the order when he found out that Francis had indeed participated in the mediation and that the plaintiffs were satisfied with the outcome.

As of this past Wednesday, however, the attorneys for the plaintiffs contacted the judge and asked for an emergency hearing, according to the Panama City Herald. D. Ross McCloy, the plaintiff’s counsel, told the judge that Francis had radically altered the settlement he had agreed to during mediation.

"It was like a whole new offer," McCloy told the Herald.

At that point, Smoak reissued the contempt order and by the close of business today, Francis must turn himself into police in order to spend time in jail until another round of mediation can be completed.

The contempt order, however, is not the end of the wrath from the judge’s ire. Smoak raised the amount Francis would have to pay each of the young women for legal fees incurred and is looking into criminal contempt charges.