Posted on 04/28/2008 9:29:20 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Wesley Snipes had only been convicted of misdemeanors concerning his failure to file income tax returns.
And the action movie star had submitted written character testimonials from Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, and television's Judge Joe Brown to assist him in the judge’s consideration of his sentencing.
Through his attorneys, Snipes asked for probation rather than prison, which is the normal sentence with a conviction of someone without a criminal history. Still, in spite of it all, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges sentenced Snipes to three years in prison.
Why did this happen?
Well, in February 2008, a federal jury acquitted Snipes of felony tax fraud and conspiracy (which could have placed him in the slammer for more than a decade) but convicted the actor on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return.
Snipes’ two co-defendants, a defrocked accountant and a tax protest leader, were convicted on the felony counts and may go to jail for 10 years.
Because Snipes is a celebrity, his case has received an enormous amount of publicity. In defense of his actions, he essentially asserted tax protest arguments that have consistently been brushed aside by the courts.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous people sell books, tapes and the like, which end up convincing some people that they don’t have to pay income tax.
Snipes claimed that the tax code did not mandate payment of income taxes by citizens who earned the money in this country. He additionally claimed that the IRS is not a legitimate government entity and therefore had no legal authority to collect taxes.
Jurors found that the actor failed to file for three years.
In the sentencing memo filed by his lawyer, Snipes also asserted that he didn’t have to file returns because he “was a 'stateless person' or 'nonresident alien.'”
The prosecutors’ sentencing memo stated that Snipes' policy was “to send checks received at his business office for deposit offshore.”
In addition, the memo stated that the actor paid approximately “$498,000 in personal payments to Snipes' grandmother, his former wife, his then-fiancee, his personal lawyer, a tax defier organization, and M&S Finance, the Swiss alter-ego to which he fraudulently conveyed his business holdings in 1999,” and that the amount of unreported gross income for the three-year period was “$13 million.”
Snipes exhibited a “history of contempt over a period of time” for U.S. tax laws, the judge said.
You can bet Judge Hodges knew full well that lots of people who maintain similar beliefs to Snipes and his co-defendants were watching the case and would be encouraged not to file and not to pay if Snipes hadn’t been given the max.
----------------------------------------------------------
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor, and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
Guess I won’t bet on black anymore.
Anyone see any “loopholes” in this? I sure don't. Congress has the power to lay taxes on income (from any source) and to collect them without any regard to a census or enumeration.
What happened to Conservatives being pro-Constitution? Just not that particular amendment?
We get a lot more for our taxes than any other people in any other nation on earth, and we pay less taxes than most. I am all for LOWERING taxes and making a FLAT tax and elimination of the loopholes that allow a Billionaire like John Kerry to pay 3% of his yearly income in taxes (mostly tax free government bonds) while working shlubs like you and I pay over 30%. But lets not pretend the Government doesn't have the right and the power, according to the Constitution to lay and collect taxes on income - they do.
I live in California and in one of the most liberal counties and we have more CCW holders than any other county in California. Every person that I know of that has applied for a CCW has recieved one. So it is easy to get a CCW.
Yes, in a few counties that is probably true. However all in all it is very hard to get a CCW in california.
Ok, give me one county in which it is hard to get a CCW.
You can't because I am not clueless. We've repealed a Constitutional amendment before. It most certainly is not impossible.
Of course not, but the right to own firearms is guaranteed by the Constitution so I am breaking no law. The authority to impose and collect income tax is also stated in the Constitution, and that is what makes it legal.
If Snipes had walked off with probation, then everyone in the USA would stop paying income tax tomorrow. The only way the IRS can guarantee compliance with tax law is to make an example of him.
For life?????
LIFE???
Highly doubt it was done for the reasons you've assigned to him.
If Snipes was convicted on all charges he would have gotten what amounts to a life sentence. So yes, LIFE.
I advocate the death sentence for Snipes, proceeded by the torture of being dipped in boiling oil for him and his entire family and everyone who ever lived within 20 miles radius of him house.
We should also nuke the site from orbit.
It's the only way to be sure.
Hope that is not against the law or I'm screwed.
You and me both..........
You know, I wish I was a cop.
I would shoot people right on the spot if I caught them speeding.
God, that would feel GREAT!
What does this have to do with Wesley Snipes? Snipes was accused, tried, convicted and sentenced to prison for breaking tax law. He wasn't exactly the victim of street justice here.
Well hell....why not just put him to death.
As I stated earlier, the sentences for all of the charges against him would have amounted to a life sentence. He is currently getting the maximum sentence for the charges on which he was convicted. Are you suggesting he should not have to pay for his crime?
I believe "life" in prison for tax evasion...is cruel and unusual.
Pay for his crime, yes. Life? Nope.
I know, but you KNOW that bastard has sped around in his vehicle. You just KNOW it.
DEATH PENALTY!!!!
KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.