"Girls Gone Wild" Creator Joe Francis' Serving Jail Time With Convicted Cop Killer
Joe Francis is still in jail and every time I think of that it confirms my belief in a higher power.
Apparently, the Girls Gone Wild creator isn't having such a great time in jail. Having already spent 14 days in jail (Francis was taken into custody on April 10th at the Panama City Airport) he has been sentenced to 35 days (minus time served) in conjunction with his contempt of court charges stemming from a civil suit brought by seven underage victims claiming sexual abuse.
In court, the tearful Francis issued this apology and statement on the proceedings and contempt charges:
“I’m sorry for my behavior,†Francis said, wiping tears from his eyes. He said he was confused by an appeal his lawyers had filed and whether that meant he had to turn himself in. “That’s not an excuse. I should have just been there on time. I’m sorry. I really am. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.â€
But there are more bad times ahead. Despite Francis' lawyer Jan Handzlik's efforts on behalf of his client to lessen the sentence to under 30 days, Judge Smoak would not concede. According to the article, 35 days exceeds 30 which is a magic number on his"criminal scoresheet" and makes him illegible for an additional year of jail time if Francis is convicted of federal tax evasion charges that were brought against him the state of Arizona.
Francis face further legal woes. After his contempt sentence has been served he faces additional charges of violating contraband restrictions for possessing prescription drugs and money while in jail. Since he is federal custody, those charges won't be filed until his 35 day sentence is complete. Besides the tax evasion, contempt of court and contraband charges, Francis may also face federal charges in California for violating in that state in relation to not "keeping the proper paperwork showing that the performers in his “Girls Gone Wild†films were of legal age."
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