Here is a story about the show, Girls Gone Wild, in the courts. The founder is being sued.
And it is in the news.
Lawyers representing “Girls Gone Wild” creator Joe Francis and attorneys for four women suing Francis were asked by a federal judge to review sexually graphic footage in the case, the News Herald reports.
Judge Richard Smoak wanted both sides to view the footage before he decides whether to show it to the jury, according to the paper.
The women, who are anonymous, have filed a federal civil lawsuit against Francis, who they allege sexually exploited them while they were underage, for allegedly filming them for his widely circulated video series “Girls Gone Wild.” The video series centered around the sexual activity of young women on spring break.
The jury in the case, which began last week in U.S. District Court in Panama City, Fla., has yet to see the footage, according to the newspaper. Lawyers for the women have argued that it is inappropriate to show the video in court.
“No matter what she’s doing on this film, it is inappropriate to show it," Rachel Pontikes, one of plaintiffs' lawyers, told Smoak Monday, the newspaper reports.
Smoak reportedly requested that lawyers representing Francis and the women review footage of Plaintiff B, filmed during spring break in 2002. The attorneys gathered Monday night to watch the footage, according to the newspaper.
Francis, who had been acting as his own attorney, was held in contempt of court last week for violating an evidentiary rule during cross-examination of a witness, Smoak ruled. On Thursday, Francis reportedly retained two
attorneys from Panama City to represent him in the case, wmbb.com reports.
The News Herald reports that Smoak will decide Tuesday whether to show the video to the jury. Smoak said that deliberations in the case could also begin Tuesday.
I don't think that those tapes should be shown in court. I agree with the lawyer Rachel Pontikes. For them to be sold as "Girls Gone Wild", obviously they are explicit. There is no need to play the video; it is only going to embarrass the girls more when they are already there to dispute them. I believe the jury should remain unbiased in any way possible, and showing those tapes would prevent that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erin - in many cases, or where there are sensitive informants or private information in dispute, the judge can privately review the documents, tapes, etc. and make a decision based on what he or she has seen without having to further embarrass the plaintiff by showing the jury. Though the judge would likely have a relatively unbiased take on the videos, it will be difficult for the girl to have them viewed this way as they do not risk revealing her identity or endangering her life in any way, which is usually the reason why they are viewed in chambers instead. She will merely be embarrassed and it will be hard to decide whether her pride is more important than the judicial process and reliance on the jury to make a fair decision.
ReplyDeleteI searched news and different websites for an update on this decision, to see if there were any arguments made for either side, and found nothing. This seems to be another example of media breaking a story that is a hot button topic at the time and then failing to do any sort of follow-up to the story.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of story involves scandalous activities acted out by young girls. The media will report on this because it attracts the public's attention. It also involves young girls who were not of age when the footage was shot. The Girls Gone Wild videos depict girls doing sexually explicit activities while at Spring Break. I don't think that the footage should be shown in court. For one, the girls were underage when the footage was taken. And secondly, it would be extremely embarrassing for the girls to have the footage played before an entire courtroom. Perhaps, they could describe to the jury what is on the tape and help prevent the girls and their families further embarrassment.
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