'Girls Gone Wild' founder convicted of assault

Prosecutors say "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis has been convicted of misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment stemming from a dispute after a 2009 night out in Hollywood.

The Los Angeles city attorney's office says a jury convicted Francis of three counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault and other misdemeanors. He faces up to five years in prison at his sentencing Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Francis took three women home from a club and a fight broke out when he tried to separate one from the others. They say Francis grabbed a woman by the hair and throat and slammed her head into the floor.

The district attorney declined to press felony charges and referred the case to the city attorney for consideration of misdemeanors.

Francis could not immediately be reached for comment.

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