Steve Wynn awarded $20 million in slander suit
L.A. jury finds 'Girls Gone Wild' founder Joe Francis knowingly made false statements that Steve Wynn threatened to kill him over a $2-million gambling bill.
A Los Angeles jury awarded casino mogul Steve Wynn $20 million Monday in his slander suit against "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis — a sum 10 times the gambling debt that sparked the dispute.
The L.A. County Superior Court jury found that Francis knowingly made false statements when he told reporters and others that Wynn threatened to kill him and bury his body in the desert over a $2-million bill he ran up during a multi-day gambling spree in 2007.
"He told lies. He used the media to get it out there," said Wynn's lead lawyer, Barry Langberg, in lauding the verdict.
The award surpassed the $12 million Wynn's attorneys had asked for and swelled Francis' already substantial debt to the Las Vegas billionaire. With the original unpaid gambling bill and a $7.5-million defamation judgment awarded by a Nevada judge this year, Francis owes Wynn close to $30 million.
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Casino mogul Steve Wynn awarded $20 million in slander suit - latimes.com
L.A. jury finds 'Girls Gone Wild' founder Joe Francis knowingly made false statements that Steve Wynn threatened to kill him over a $2-million gambling bill.
A Los Angeles jury awarded casino mogul Steve Wynn $20 million Monday in his slander suit against "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis — a sum 10 times the gambling debt that sparked the dispute.
The L.A. County Superior Court jury found that Francis knowingly made false statements when he told reporters and others that Wynn threatened to kill him and bury his body in the desert over a $2-million bill he ran up during a multi-day gambling spree in 2007.
"He told lies. He used the media to get it out there," said Wynn's lead lawyer, Barry Langberg, in lauding the verdict.
The award surpassed the $12 million Wynn's attorneys had asked for and swelled Francis' already substantial debt to the Las Vegas billionaire. With the original unpaid gambling bill and a $7.5-million defamation judgment awarded by a Nevada judge this year, Francis owes Wynn close to $30 million.
more
Casino mogul Steve Wynn awarded $20 million in slander suit - latimes.com
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