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A jury has awarded casino magnate Steve Wynn $20 million in his slander suit against porn purveyor Joe Francis.
An L.A. Count Superior Court jury determined that the “Girls Gone Wild” video franchise owner, Francis, had knowingly made false statements against Wynn. Francis had told reporters that Wynn threatened to kill him with a shovel over the head and bury him in the desert. The jury found that Francis acted maliciously in making such statements.
"He told lies. He used the media to get it out there," said Wynn's lead lawyer, Barry Langberg, in lauding the verdict.
Francis made the accusations after amassing a $12 million debt at Wynn’s Las Vegas casino.
Witnesses during last week’s four-day trial included music producer Quincy Jones, a long time friend of Wynn’s and a neighbor of Francis. Jones vehemently denied he was shown threatening emails originating from Wynn about wanting to kill the softcore purveyor.
Francis’ appearance on “Good Morning America” during the trial, where he reiterated his claims, resulted in Judge Joanne B. O’Donnell awarding Wynn $11 million for the broadcast alone.
"I'm startled by the jury's verdict because it's totally unfounded and the evidence does not support it," Francis told the Associated Press, adding that he intended to appeal the decision.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
