Judges Gone Wild!

"This is a case of a judge gone wild," declaimed Joe Francis, the sleazemeister behind the Girls Gone Wild videos, after being held in contempt of court yesterday. Francis is facing suits from seven underage girls who are not so wild about his cameras probing into their partying. The judge ordered Francis into custody.

"This judge has gone as far as to call me the devil and an evildoer," moaned the mock-shocked Francis, who makes an estimated $29 million a year on the DVD stripteases. The plaintiffs complained to U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak that Francis had threatened them, prompting the contempt charge. Francis said Smoak "had lost his mind," while his lawyers are appealing the order. (More law stories.)