Judge orders Joe Exotic's park to be turned over to Carole Baskin
06/03/2020 11:26 am PDT
via KFOR:
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) -- The "Tiger King" saga continues after Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue Corporation won a suit Monday against Joseph Maldonado-Passage's Greater Wynnewood Development Group, granting her the rights to the land in Garvin County. Joseph Maldonado-Passage is better known as "Joe Exotic."
The lawsuit began in 2016 when Big Cat Rescue Corp. sued both Greater Wynnewood Development Group and Shirley Schreibvogel, Joe Exotic's mother.
Judge Scott Palk ruled the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park to vacate the property within 120 days and hand over control to Big Cat Rescue Corp., although the park is now run by Jeff Lowe. The title to the zoo land, all portable buildings, and several vehicles must be transferred to Baskin's business. All animals must be taken off the property as well.
Judge Palk ruled these items were "Sham Deeds" given by Maldonado-Passage to his mother to avoid paying Baskin in a trademark infringement lawsuit settlement.
Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for trying to hire two different people at different times to kill one of his most outspoken critics, animal activist Carole Baskin. He was convicted of those crimes, as well as more than a dozen wildlife charges, including killing five lions, in September 2019.