SNIPES BEATS THE FEDS: Found Not Guilty of Tax Evasion; Guilty of 3 Misdemeanors

SNIPES BEATS THE FEDS: Found Not Guilty of Tax Evasion; Guilty of 3 Misdemeanors

OCALA, Florida (Reuters) - Actor Wesley Snipes, star of the "Blade" movie series, was found guilty of three misdemeanors by a U.S. court on Friday for failing to file tax returns for three years.

The actor and two co-defendants had been charged with six counts of failing to file tax returns, two of fraudulently claiming tax refunds and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government.

Snipes could still face up to three years in prison, according to prosecutors.

(visit the link for the full news article)

www.reuters.com

Related News Articles:

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[edit on 2/1/2008 by JacKatMtn]

This is amazing. Snipes is my new hero. I think we could all learn a thing or two from this guy.



[edit on 1-2-2008 by bakednutz]

I think that's awesome.

And now I'll just mention how much I liked his work in Demolition Man, one of my favorite movies of all time, so I don't get penalized for a short reply. Just wanted to say it's awesome without getting slapped in the wrist and losing points.

Chalk up another win for citizen's rights

I couldn't be any happier with this verdict. Hopefully the scumbags in charge are starting to get the hint that we, the people, are getting pretty pissed about this pretend government of theirs. I have a gut feeling that this is the beginning of the unraveling that I have been praying for. Nothing will help me to sleep better at night than knowing that every one of these politicans is swinging from their neck!

I popped in and provided some links for the OP.

It was interesting that they couldn't convict him on the fraud deal because he never FILED the returns........

Originally posted by kozmo

Chalk up another win for citizen's rights

I couldn't be any happier with this verdict. Hopefully the scumbags in charge are starting to get the hint that we, the people, are getting pretty pissed about this pretend government of theirs. I have a gut feeling that this is the beginning of the unraveling that I have been praying for. Nothing will help me to sleep better at night than knowing that every one of these politicans is swinging from their neck!

Jesus H Christ! I can't believe it. There is another millionaire evading taxes and you cheer for them! Do you feel the same way about people and corporations funneling money to Cayman Islands and such? What do politicians have to do with it?

I may disagree with how the budget is spent (and very much so) but taxes need to be paid. Snipes showed a middle finger to his compatriots and some of them are silly enough to smile back.

As someone else pointed out. He didn't file returns for the years he was accused of fraud. Hard to convict someone for something they haven't done yet.

He will pay taxes on the money he earned those years plus penalties and interest.

Just watch.

I find it funny on how the feds pressed this case, and the media storm it obtained. Im glad he got off because the IRS is in need of getting #ed.

reply to post by buddhasystem


Uh, the income tax isnt used to fund the nation. It's used to pay interest on the national debt to the FEDERAL RESERVE.

As a sidenote, its the duty of every American to do whatever they possibly can to limit the amount of taxes they pay. I am all for people who send their money to the Caymans, Switzerland, or the Canary Islands. I would encourage everyone to do it.

Personally, I think that the problem with being forced to pay income taxes starts when a person fills out local, state, and federal income tax withholding forms for an employer to file with the respective government agencies. At the point that is done it is nearly, obviously only nearly, impossible to prove that one does not believe that he or she has to pay taxes. Filing tax returns is the next step of being caught in some sort of nebulous, intractable, and enforceable contract with the government and the IRS.

It is clear that legal and judicial interpretation of tax denier cases is completely subjective. There are no clear roads where laws support a US citizen having to pay or not pay.

Robert E. O’Neill, the United States attorney here, said current law “is entirely subjective” on criminal intent because juries must decide whether a defendant “sincerely believes” he was not required to pay taxes.

That statement also implies that the law on having to pay taxes is subjective. Which, of course, is where the tax deniers support their position and the courts support theirs. The courts have more leverage, of course, they simply use legal precedent to guide them to their verdicts.

The Supreme Court has ruled that tax deniers can demonstrate the absence of criminal intent by asserting that they “sincerely believe” that they are not required to pay taxes, although they cannot escape the levies.

That the Supreme Court would make such an interpretation of "the law" and allow tax deniers some leeway in their defense is telling that the laws on whether an individual has to pay income taxes or not are unclear. For example, no one is acquitted of murder or manslaughter because he or she believed that there is no such thing as murder and/or that he or she can be held liable for killing another human being intentionally or accidentally. So obviously the Supreme Court has made a decision that reflects the nature of the law on having to pay taxes. Basically, it's up to the courts and juries to decide if individuals are responsible for knowing if they have to pay taxes, and to be held liable if income taxes have not been paid. Obviously, there is no law that explicitly states that individuals are by law compelled to pay income taxes.

The Supreme Court also makes it clear that a person cleared of tax fraud still has to pay the dollar amount that the IRS and the FBI determine is still owed by that person. My hunch, that decision is based on the legal precedent that in the past every US citizen has paid taxes, was responsible for paying taxes, or is assumed to have paid taxes. That no legal case has ever been judged that a person is free of the liability of having to pay the taxes that they owe.

It's obvious to me that no law exists that states that US citizens have to pay income taxes. It's also obvious to me that our legal and judicial system compels us to pay income taxes regardless of verdict.

I wonder why the law on this issue is intentionally left vague. Maybe the IRS knows the answer to that question?



www.nytimes.com...

Viva the Snipester, shooting down the Infernal Revenue Service! Death to the IRS and all forms of economic tyranny.

Originally posted by slackerwire
Uh, the income tax isn’t used to fund the nation. It's used to pay interest on the national debt to the FEDERAL RESERVE.

Right on. It's theft of the peoples wealth on a colossal scale, and little else. But let's not let that stop us from hating on a brave American who just won a victory for all of us. After all, he's got money!

Personally, I think if I have to pay taxes, so should he. And to top it all off, he has the money to pay taxes, I don't.

I really don't like Snipes all that much, so I could care less either way.

Originally posted by kozmo
Hopefully the scumbags in charge are starting to get the hint that we, the people, are getting pretty pissed about this pretend government of theirs.

I will bet that you are wrong on the bolded part.

Reason?? I know its a stupid answer but Election 08. The people want Ron Paul.. This isn't me talking or some stupid supporter, this is the people talking... Not some ghey Internet fad like Alex Jones or something.. If u like numbers as much as sex you will realize the votes don't add up to much today.

Statistically Ron Paul should be kicking everyone's ass in the election, yet he is last. So the idea that "we the people are sick of this government" is a lie. cause we don't do something about this election. I say we are doomed to whatever hellhole those people have in mind for us.

And nice work Snipes. He should give some of his info to the Browns about how he won..

reply to post by Areal51


I think your point is very good. I believe a citizen won a case recently in Nevada (Anyone have links?) where he claimed that he was TRADING his time for money and therefore had not gained any actual income. Now with the Snipes case, maybe we are making a bit of headway.

reply to post by Johnny Sasaki


Apparently the law is not based on whether you believe he has to pay. It's based on whether he believes he has to pay. He has to pay regardless of what he believes. It is only whether he believes that he doesn't have to pay that he cannot be held liable for fraud. However, again, he's still held liable for what he owes.

If every citizen in the US stopped filing income tax returns, then maybe we would no longer be required to pay those taxes. It would at least help to establish the legal precedent that US citizens do not believe that they are legally required to pay income taxes.

reply to post by buddhasystem


Dude, nice try but we already. know that the income tax is bogus and unconstitutional and unjust.

all you have to do watch "America Freedom to Fascism" and you will discover that.

Not all taxes just the INCOME TAX

reply to post by kosmicjack


That's interesting. I'm not familiar with the case, but I think it's a logically sound argument. INTEREST earned on SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, INTEREST earned on CHECKING ACCOUNTS, and INTEREST earned on INVESTMENTS, STOCKS and BONDS, are clearly forms of INCOME. However, WAGES received by employees from employers for work done is clearly an EXCHANGE of LABOR and TIME for MONEY. It can also be seen as a CONVERSION. At any rate it most certainly is not a TRUE source of INCOME, except that we and "the law" generally regard it as such.

It's difficult to refute that person's argument because he didn't deny that income taxes have to be paid. He just denied that the money that he had earned from his job is a form of income. Since it is apparent that at the end of the day he has only exchanged the market value of his skills, intellect, and time for money. He sounds like a guy with a really good understanding of what "human resources" really means. That's a damn good argument, in my opinion.









[edit on 2-2-2008 by Areal51]

Because of this case, I wonder if people who have diligently paid their income taxes in the past will not file taxes this year. They will know that they will still be at risk for paying them sometime in the future, but they will also know that there would be a low probability that they would have to face income tax fraud charges. They can literally go into the courtroom and say that because of this case they do not believe that they no longer have to pay income taxes, even though they have an understanding that they could possibly be charged for not paying them, and would possibly be forced to pay them in the future. Retaining a good attorney would almost certainly get any fraud charges reduced to misdemeanor charges for people who fit that profile.

Interesting.

Good old Blade slashed his sword again and took out a few more vampires;yes he was wounded slightly, but will return again to vanquish the dreaded black monsters that suck the life blood from the innocent: The IRS.

The jury was too uneducated top know that filing is not mandatory either; I quit years ago. I got a bill a couple of months ago demanding 4k from the thieves; I throw all such crap in the trash, and they never bother me and never will. I make sure all I own is in my kids names, and I own nothing of value except for Blackie the Benz, and he ain't what he used to be, so the IRS can stuff it!!

reply to post by slackerwire


Totally agree on what you just stated. You here people say it is the government's money, no it is not, it is the peoples money they are extracting it from all of the worker slaves. With out the worker slave's money the government slows and the economy booms it is called free enterprise.

Yes taxes can be raised from tariffs just like prior to 1913 and the smaller the government means less taxes. I here a voice and the voice is saying I am your government and I know how to spend your money better than you do.

The voice keeps broadcasting I need more money, more money, more money where does it stop. For things to change we the people need to make changes. Rik Riley



[edit on 2-2-2008 by rikriley]