8/18/2008

in

Joe Francis sues underage girls and their parents; believes he was bulldozed into signing agreement.

Joe Thomas

Joe Francis, the entrepreneur who created the Girls Gone Wild video series, is withdrawing a settlement which he was "bulldozed" into signing.  
  
The series for which Francis is responsible features young amateur women flaunting around topless and exposing their breasts to video cameras.  
  
Francis filed a lawsuit against the parents of three underage girls in hopes of getting a Panama City, Fla. settlement reversed.  
  
Francis was held in contempt of court and was incarcerated by U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak in 2007.  
  
In the suit, Francis accuses Smoak of "playing favorites" to his former law partners and forcing him to settle on terms that were in the girls' favor. Smoak was originally a partner with the firm that was representing the girls and their parents.  
  
Francis settled at the time in order to escape further incarceration.  
  
Francis did not tell the Associated Press how much he paid, however, he previously mentioned to AP that the girls were asking $70 million.  
  
According to Robert Barnes, one of Francis's lawyers, the suit was filed in Los Angeles, Calif. because that is where Francis, and his company, Mantra Films, are located.  
  
"This fight is way bigger than me. If this stands, this single-handedly undermines the entire civil judicial process in this country," said Francis in a press conference announcing the lawsuit.  
  
Francis asked viewers of his Web site to write letters to Congress requesting the impeachment of Judge Smoak.  
  
The legal troubles are not over for Francis, he recently pleaded "no contest" in regards to a handful of charges. He faces federal tax evasion charges in L.A., and is being sued by Las Vegas for $2 million in gambling debts, which he claims have been settled through "prior agreements."