LOS ANGELES-- Joe Francis, founder and CEO of Mantra Films, Inc., filed suit today in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that a federal judge worked in cahoots with opposing attorneys to extort a ransom for Francis' release from a Panama City, Florida jail cell.
Today's filing grows out of a 2003 First Amendment battle Francis and his
company fought with Panama City officials. Mantra Films is best known for the Girls Gone Wild lifestyle brand, an American pop culture phenomenon. In town to produce a show about the wild antics of college coeds at Panama City's traditional spring break debauch, Francis and his team were falsely accused of illegal activity.
Court documents filed today allege a Bay County courthouse cabal
imprisoned Francis illegally through shady backroom deals stemming from a
civil lawsuit filed by several coeds who were filmed. Illegally imprisoned for almost a year without bail, Francis was forced to pay presiding Judge Richard Smoak's former law partners millions in ransom for his freedom.
Francis brings this legal action to set aside the settlement agreement
coerced by duress and the improper conduct of the women, their parents, and
their attorneys. Francis has also filed separate actions demanding over
$300,000,000 million in damages for the illegal conduct of Bay County
officials.
"Panama City officials began their persecution of Joe Francis with open
deception, continued with perjury, and concluded with illegal imprisonment," said Robert E. Barnes, attorney for Francis. "That may be what counts for justice in Panama City, but it's not American justice."
Francis sent an email to millions of supporters today to enlist them in
this important First Amendment battle. On a video message posted to his
personal Web site, www.MeetJoeFrancis.com he thanked his supporters and
said: "We're fighting back against judicial and government corruption. If
this can happen to me, it can happen to you."
