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In this Nov. 16, 2010 file phtoo Joe Francis arrives at a screening of the film "The Next Three Days," in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

In this Nov. 16, 2010 file phtoo Joe Francis arrives at a screening of the film "The Next Three Days," in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

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Jury awards casino mogul Wynn $20M in slander case

Record producer Quincy Jones was a witness

Updated: Monday, 10 Sep 2012, 2:56 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 10 Sep 2012, 2:28 PM CDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury says "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis slandered Steve Wynn when he claimed the casino mogul threatened to kill him and bury him in the desert.

The Los Angeles jury on Monday awarded Wynn $20 million.

The verdict came after a three-day trial featuring testimony from both men and record producer Quincy Jones. Francis claims Jones told him about Wynn's threats, but Jones denied that.

Wynn, the designer of major Las Vegas resorts such as The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore, attended the entire trial and vehemently denied threatening Francis. He told jurors that the allegations hurt his reputation and could lead to a damaging investigation by Nevada gaming authorities.

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