The Snipes Trial

[Famspear]

Barbara Walters - don't use her as a character witness; have her admitted pro hac vice, so she can put Snipes on the stand, gaze earnestly into his eyes, and ask him questions, like "What IS your favowit color, Weswey"?

Oh, wait, that might be construed as injecting the issue of color into the proceedings.

[Randall]

He forgot that noted tax expert, Willie Nelson.

[Doktor Avalanche]

He forgot that noted tax expert, Willie Nelson.

Didn't he get hosed by his business manager? Not that it relieves Willy of any responsibility...

[Duke2Earl]

Personally, I suspect that the omnipotent Demo has arranged this all to get out of the DC winter.

[Judge Roy Bean]

He forgot that noted tax expert, Willie Nelson.

Didn't he get hosed by his business manager? Not that it relieves Willy of any responsibility...

http://loansharks.blogspot.com/2008/01/ ... illie.html

"Maybe Hollywood will get the writer’s strike over in time to spin up a plot line that Willie and Wesley can star in - one about the costs of falling for really bad advice."

[grixit]

Here's some advice from Kenny Rogers: it's time to fold 'em.

[RyanMcC]

He forgot that noted tax expert, Willie Nelson.

I always heard his tax shelter was top shelf
Lord I just could not wait to find out for myself
Don't knock it til' you tried it, Well I tried it my friend
I'll never take tax advice from Willie again

Now we learned a hard lesson in a small Texas town
He whipped out some tax forms and he passed them around
The last words that I spoke before they tucked me in
I may make frivolous arguements
But I'll never take tax advice from Willie again

I'll never take tax advice from Willie again
My parties all over before it begins
You can send me to Jackson Hewitt my friend
But I'll never take tax advice from Willie again

(Lets go down to Texas guys)

Now we're passing the guitar, telling good jokes
Sittin' in prison with all these fine folks
Now I will not partake, I just let it pass by
I'll just pay all my taxes with a grunt and a sigh

I'll never take tax advice from Willie again
My parties all over before it begins
You can send me to Jackson Hewitt my friend
But I'll never take tax advice from Willie again

Sittin in prison in the Federal pen
We broke down took tax advice from Willie again

--

Lyrics by yours truely, this is the tune by Toby Keith.

[ASITStands]

I doubt that there are cases in which that would be a bad strategy.

Always a good idea.

[LPC]

Personally, I suspect that the omnipotent Demo has arranged this all to get out of the DC winter.

Reports of her vacation are greatly exaggerated.

[Demosthenes]

This ain't vacation. This is hard labor. You ever sit on a courtroom pew for hours and hours?

Eddie Kahn read a statement into the record that he would not be participating in the trial. Snipes tried to readmit attorney Dan Meachum on to his defense team, after accusing his old team of professional incompetence. The judge declined the pro hac vice application which is awkward for the defense because Meachum was supposed to present part of the opening argument.

Day two completed jury selection today. 12 jurors plus 4 alternates, 11 females, 5 males, ages 35 to 70, with most in their fifties and sixties. All white (which is not surprising considering the entire jury pool was white.)

I went my first Winn Dixie yesterday. It was fun.

[Joey Smith]

I went my first Winn Dixie yesterday.

But have you ever been to the Piggly Wiggly?

[Imalawman]

In my attempt to split off the Snipes trial thread from the plethora of posts about southern food, it would seem that there has been a snafu of unknown origin and I've removed more than I wanted to into the food thread. Please post Snipes stuff on the Snipes thread and Snipes trial related food posts to this thread.

[Evil Squirrel Overlord]

But where do we post the Southern Fried Snipes Recipie?

Or is this all a snipe hunt?

Okay...Humor is not my forte.

[Famspear]

from the Associated Press (16 January 2008) (excerpt):

Prosecutors: Snipes warned about taxes

by Travis Reed, Associated Press Writer

A longtime tax adviser warned Wesley Snipes he could get in trouble by hiring new accountants who said he didn't have to pay taxes, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

In the opening statements of an expected monthlong trial, assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill said the 45-year-old actor was called by Kenneth Starr, a New York money manager with several famous clients. Starr told Snipes there was no merit to the argument that he didn't have to pay taxes, and the next day sent a letter terminating his tax services, O'Neill said.

"In the '90s, Mr. Snipes was a taxpayer," O'Neill told the jury. "Something happens in the year 2000, and that stops the payment of taxes."

[ . . . ]

Prosecutors say Kahn and Rosile convinced Snipes that he didn't have to pay taxes based on a fringe misinterpretation of Internal Revenue Service code known as the "861 argument." Long rejected by judges and the IRS, it holds that only wages earned by U.S. citizens outside America are subject to taxation.

[ . . . ]

The "Blade" action star was the victim of several unscrupulous advisers, his attorneys said Wednesday. Key to the case is whether Snipes intentionally broke the law, because ordinary failure to file tax returns is a civil crime.

Attorney Robert Bernhoft said Snipes didn't trust Starr, which made him "extremely intrigued" to hear Kahn's argument.

Further, Bernhoft said, Snipes relied on the advice of Sylvester Stallone, a fellow Starr client and personal friend. Stallone sued Starr in 2002, alleging his bad advice cost him some $7 million.

"This is not a new story — artists, athletes being taken advantage of," Bernhoft said.

Snipes is also accused of directing his movie companies to stop withholding taxes from employees and fraudulently demanding taxes from years previously paid. Snipes filed amended returns for $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes, which the government never gave back.

(bolding added)

"Civil crime"?

And what was the bad advice received by Stallone?

[LPC]

Demo's been two-timing us.

See http://www.thesnipestrial.com/?page_id=2

[webhick]

Demo's been two-timing us.

See http://www.thesnipestrial.com/?page_id=2

It's not two-timing if she told us about it on the 10th.

[LPC]

Truth be told, in the financial planning industry, you would do well to steer clear of celebrities, doctors, dentists and lawyers. You can have the best constructed, soundest plan in the world, but often their egos lead them into transactions that are dubious at best, or inappropriate for them, but they do it any way because it is the latest, hottest, trendiest thing to do.

Which is why a lot of these folks get sucked into buying race horses, cr*ppy art, a real estate ventures in foreign lands. A huge ego stroke, but of no real merit to their overall financial health and often a detriment to it.

A truism I heard years ago is that there are two times you shouldn't gamble: When you can afford to, and when you can't.

Sports stars and celebrities that have struck it rich can obviously afford to gamble, which is why they shouldn't.

It's like the episode of "South Park" where they go to the Indian casino, put all their money on the roulette wheel on 31-black, win, and then decide to let it ride.

Morons.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Demo's been two-timing us.

See http://www.thesnipestrial.com/?page_id=2

It's not two-timing if she told us about it on the 10th.

Yeah, Dan...where've ya been?

[Doktor Avalanche]

A truism I heard years ago is that there are two times you shouldn't gamble: When you can afford to, and when you can't.

Sports stars and celebrities that have struck it rich can obviously afford to gamble, which is why they shouldn't.

And having run in those circles (musicians), I've seen it happen too many times.

Especially the younger ones. They've no concept of what money is aside from the idea that it's something they can spend - and usually to their detriment.

I'm glad I've gotten older and wiser. If I ever run into that kind of money I know exactly what to do with it.

Right after I get stoned with Willie.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I'm actually kind of glad Snipes is going through this ordeal, as f'd up as that sounds.

Next time those special-needs children at YouTube try to sell me on the idea that you don't have to pay taxes, I can just turn around and say:

"Two words: Wesley Snipes"