Watch CBS News

All-Female Jury Throws Out "Girls Gone Wild" Lawsuit

PANAMA CITY (CBSMiami) - The founder of the sex-charged "Girls Gone Wild" series of videos, featuring drunken college girls doffing their tops for the camera, has been cleared of claims that he's to blame for the emotional stress some of his now reluctant stars felt for appearing in the raunchy videos.

Attorneys for Joe Francis had to make his case before a Federal Court jury made up entirely of women, but apparently they could not agree with the claim that Francis was to blame for problems 4 unnamed women felt after they appeared in a Girls Gone Wild video.

The verdict came Thursday following an eight-day trial in Panama City. The jury of eight women deliberated less than a before returning its decision, at 1:30 a.m.Thursday. Francis, who was found in contempt at one point during the trial, represented himself.

The four women sued in March 2008 using only their initials. While they are now adults, they say they were under 18 at the time they appeared in the video, and unable to legally agree to take part. However, all signed documents claiming they were of legal age before they appeared in the video.

The lawsuit claimed Francis exploited them by filming them flashing their breasts and engaging in other sexual activities in Panama City. It also claimed the women were ridiculed, ostracized and forced to leave school when videos were released.

The jury found the evidence supported the statement that Francis' behavior was "beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as shocking, atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community," but could not find any intent to cause emotional distress to the woman.

"I wouldn't say I got a fair trial, but you know what, I got a fair result," Francis said.

Francis said he may consider filing a lawsuit against the women and their lawyers.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.