Joe Exotic’s Supreme Court Appeal Denied

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take on the case of Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, who gained fame from the Netflix series “Tiger King.” His legal troubles originate from a conviction tied to a murder-for-hire scheme.

Currently, Maldonado-Passage is serving a 21-year sentence and is looking for a way out. He’s reached out to former President Donald Trump multiple times, requesting a pardon, claiming his trial was unjust.

In July, he lost his last appeal at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

He expressed his frustration on social media, saying, “Today, I lost my appeal for a new trial. The United States government wants me to die in prison, even though they know the witnesses lied under oath. All of their witnesses admitted perjury on global television in Season 2 of Tiger King.”

Following this, he made another plea for a pardon, stating, “Please make this right and let me go home. I lost eight years of my life.”

Maldonado-Passage was convicted in 2019 for attempting to hire two men to kill Carole Baskin, another central figure in “Tiger King,” who had long opposed his animal park.

This year, he sought a retrial, citing new evidence and claims from witnesses retracting their initial statements. However, his request was dismissed, as U.S. District Judge Scott Parc pointed out that Maldonado-Passage’s own comments represented the strongest evidence against him.

In April, he again made headlines when it was reported that he married a fellow inmate at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. In an interview, he shared details about his relationship with Jorge Marquez Flores.

He expressed how their connection felt special, saying, “Since the day we met, we have spent every moment of every day together. And it was so quick, so honest, so amazing. I wish I had met Jorge months or years ago, but I guess God had a plan.”