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“What’s your opinion of Joe Bannister?”

While I don’t know much about his case details, it appears that he escaped prosecution due to adequate disclosure in preparing his client’s returns while his client is doing 6 years behind bars.

His client would appear to have a claim against him under the circumstances... but there are many facts of which I am unaware.

The system is the punishment and as such I am not about to take a tax protester position. I’ve never investigated the legal merits of the protester positions, and even if they have merit the chances of winning a battle when you have the cards stacked against you is slim. Even if the positions had legal merit, it would be malpractice for me to advise clients to follow the protester path.

The career path of Joe Bannister is impressive. I.R.S. Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for 6 years, tax department of KPMG Peat Marwick (now “KPMG”). After three years at KPMG, He moved on to a controller position at U.S. Venture Partners (U.S.V.P.) in Menlo Park, California and fulfilled the requirements for a California Certified Public Accountant (”CPA”)

The guy has intelligence and an impressive resume. Makes me wonder what happened in his personal life. He is no doubt brilliant, but so is the nobel winning mathematician John Nash, whom the movie “Beautiful Mind” is about.

I’ve known a few attorneys like Bannister. Absolutely brilliant, but a bit off the wall. I don’t have a problem with that.

I reserve judgement on Bannister, while holding a bit of admiration at his being David and willing to take on Goliath.