The Snipes defense rested without offering any witnesses. His legal team didn’t feel that any argument or witnesses were needed, saying: “We could have put on a big show, but we don’t do that. We’re not going to waste the jury’s time.” The same team that had claimed that their portion of the trial could take up to a month actually took less than one hour.
Last week, IRS agent Steward Stich testified that Snipes earned almost $40 million ($37,897,053 to be exact) in the years 1999 through 2004. Snipes failed to file tax returns or pay any taxes, payroll taxes included, on that income. Snipes also tried to have almost $12 million in taxes paid in prior years 1996 and 1997 refunded to him.
Snipes has pleaded not guilty on all counts and could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
Will he be convicted? Here’s my prediction: he will. He will also appeal based on a number of factors, including the fact that he is facing an all-white jury in what he claims is “racist” Ocala, Florida.
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IRS, tax evasion, Wesley Snipes
I’m so over Snipes and his whining already.
Snipes’ attorney claims that he can’t get a fair trial in Ocala due to racism. His attorney has filed a motion to have the trial moved to New York because he claims “the government chose the most racially discriminatory venue available, with the best possibility of an all-white Southern jury.” The motion goes on to claim “substantial pockets of prejudice persist in Ocala. The Ocala area…is a hotbed of Klan activity.” Attached to the motion was a survey that Snipes hired the University of North Florida to do which Snipes’ attorney claims proves there’s a greater level of racism in Ocala than in New York City. This is not the first time that Snipes has claimed racial bias with respect to his trial.
Last month, Snipes’ attorney filed a motion to postpone his trial reportedly because of a fear that Snipes’ former attorney Daniel Meachum would not be physically fit for the trial. Additionally, Snipes also felt that trial attorney William R. Martin was ill-prepared for the case.
Here’s a thought for Mr. Snipes: pay your taxes and you wouldn’t have to sit around dreaming of reasons to complain about prosecution.
