A federal judge issued a bench warrant for Joe Francis' arrest after he skipped a hearing this morning in his big tax evasion case.
Joe's lawyers had asked to be removed from the case and today was supposed to be the day they could cut ties. But because the "Girls Gone Wild" boss didn't show, they can't officially go.
Joe couldn't immediately be reached -- because nobody knows where he is.
UPDATE: TMZ just got in touch with Joe, who claims he was simply ill and under the care of a doctor -- and he has the note to prove it.
Francis claims he's on his way to court right now to make his appearance. We'll let you know how it goes....
UPDATE 2: Francis was arrested after he finally showed up to court -- five hours later. He told the judge he had the flu. He'll spend the night at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
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A sleazy,exploitative,bottom feeding,sorry excuse for a human being, whom Im waiting for, with great anticipation, to fall hard on his ego manical ASS !!!!!!
Maybe he's been playing cabana boy with Darnell Riley again.
I don't care what Joe Francis says, that was some bizarre gay foreplay going on.
Google it.
take your time to read this long la times article about joe francis. after reading you feel this guy should rot in jail.
http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-gonewild32aug06,0,2664370.story
i would also like to know why the lawyers had asked to be removed.....
???
this guy definitely has a few screws loose. something very bizarre about him......
THIS DUMBASS CAN'T STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. PUT HIS SORRY ASS IN PRISON FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
Joe, don't you learn your lessons ! You don't keep a federal judge waiting !...I can hear the judges words now, " baliff's take Mr. Francis into custody for being in contempt of court ".
If he was legitimately sick (note or not), why didn't he simply call the court and get the case continued?
Simple solution. Yet TMZ appears to be buying his 'sick with a note' excuse!
And yes, it is interesting that his lawyers want out. I wonder why?
TJ
Let's see .....Paris,Kim K,Britney to name a few, all are "famous" for acting like sluts. Then comes the girls of today, who think these"ladies" and their actions are the way to act. Then Joe comes along and is smart enough to get DVD after DVD after DVD of hundreds of drunk,druged(never parented) girls clamering to act like sluts....and Joe's the problem??
Sadly for me, when I was Joe's age, there were tooo many ladies and no where near enough sluts for me to film and make a living this easy.
this guy is a sexual predator he gets young girls drunk and takes advantage of them he should be going to jail for more than taxes these celebrities who look up to him and use his villa for a getaway should be ashamed if only their daughter was feed alcohol then presauded to take their clothes off maybe they wouldnt be so quick to celebritize this pervert
I hope they put this piece of human trash away for a long time. The prosecutors are doing a great job. He's like the Al Capone of modern day.
His taxes will be his downfall. Good riddance to a really worthless person.
Doctor's note or not, the average JOE citizen cannot miss a court date simply because he is ill. We would be thrown into jail.
