Pharmacist Phlails, Phlops

[LPC]

From Demo:

Sayre pharmacist jailed in federal tax case
By By R.A. WALKER Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Morning Times
Fri Oct 31, 2008, 09:39 AM EDT

WILLIAMSPORT - A Bradford County pharmacist, who claims the government actually is the one committing crimes by prosecuting him and his wife on tax charges, was ordered detained Wednesday and to undergo a competency evaluation.

Albert Leo Berrettini Jr., 59, of Sayre, and his wife, Mary Ann, 60, face multiple federal counts, including conspiracy to defraud the federal government.

The charges stem from tax returns filed and not filed while the Berrettinnis were taking tax advice from a Colorado organization already prosecuted for advising clients to illegally evade taxes and hide resources.

Berrettini, owner of Bert's Pharmacy in Sayre, was detained by U.S. District Senior Judge James F. McClure following a hearing during which he said the couple's court-appointed attorneys were not trustworthy and complained that some court documents had his name spelled incorrectly because the name was printed with all capital letters.

The couple previously sued both their attorneys, who were appointed after they failed to retain attorneys on their own.

The hearing Wednesday in part dealt with one attorney's request to be allowed to withdraw from the case and the government's request that the other be removed because of a conflict. Other hearing topics were the status of the couple's competency and whether they should be held in contempt of court and detained for missing a hearing last week.

The case has been peppered with unusual statements and filings by the defendants, including last week's filing of documents suggesting the judge and other court officials could be arrested and declarations of independence by the defendants. In court, Albert Berrettini said the couple were "sovereign living" beings and termed the government's charges "corporate fiction."

"You don't understand how this works, Mr. Berrettini," the judge tried to explain.

The hearing was dominated by Berrettini's insistence that the government was in the wrong. He claimed the judge was "an officer of the executive branch" and should be excluded from being his judge.

He also claimed he and his wife are aware of "rights that most people don't know" they have and said he learned about the law from reading on the Internet.

Mary Ann Berrettini's attorney, Public Defender D. Toni Byrd, is seeking court permission to withdraw from the case, but Albert Berrettini's attorney, Stephen Becker of Lewisburg, is willing to remain despite his client's opinion.

Because the couple has financial resources, McClure said he would not appoint replacement attorneys should the two representing them now leave the case.

"You can either hire one or you're on your own," he said.

He also asked both Becker and Byrd to continue as the couple's attorneys at least until a determination of the husband's competency has been made.

Mary Ann Berrettini was allowed to remain free awaiting trial without posting a bond and without court supervision.

The woman's statements during the hearing were minimal, and she was in tears after her husband was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Copyright (c) 2006-2008 GateHouse Media, Inc. Some Rights Reserved.

[Dezcad]

Berrettini, owner of Bert's Pharmacy in Sayre,

Clearly, way too much self-dispensing,

[Judge Roy Bean]

Ah yes, another sovereign victory! The spouse got to go home - alone.

[Famspear]

Ah, yes, Phreedom might eventually turn out to be a Phleeting thing Phor this Pharmacist, who obviously has a Phaulty Philosophy about his obligation to contribute his share of Phunds to the Phederal Phisc.

EDIT: I Phear I may hear a Phamspear joke or two!

[.]

attorney's request to be allowed to withdraw

determination of [...] competency

Deja vu all over again.