Federal Court Rejects Snipes' Appeal In Tax Case

By Associated Press

ATLANTA — A federal appeals court in Atlanta has turned away the latest attempt by actor Wesley Snipes to get his conviction and prison sentence on tax charges overturned.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Tuesday rejected the appeal by Snipes, who was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file income tax returns.

Defense lawyers contended they received two emails from former jurors who reported misconduct among other members of the panel. But the court held that it wasn't "strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence" that would warrant a new trial.

Snipes started a three-year term in a Pennsylvania prison in December. He's appeared in dozens of films, from "White Men Can't Jump" and "Demolition Man" in the early 1990s to the blockbuster Blade trilogy.

Comments

[TheNewShadeofBlue]

01:16 PM on 10/16/2011

Justice is blind to JUST US!!!

[Red45]

07:22 PM on 10/11/2011

How come all those millionaires and billionaires out there don't have to pay taxes and they aren't arrested when they don't? Because we make it OK for them to do it but not actors? Corporations don't pay taxes--not enough, anyway--and they don't get locked up either. Wesley Snipes is such a criminal, such a threat to others, that we need to lock him up in a prison? This is completely out of whack with reality in America today.

[happyblackman]

05:26 PM on 10/11/2011

I actually thought he was out.

[michelleobamaok]

05:34 AM on 10/03/2011

I bet he pays his taxes from now on.

[Lisa Shields]

07:45 AM on 09/07/2011

I have always been uncomfortable with this verdict.

People trust their lawyers, and accountants, and I don't think he ever went to either and said "Find a way to pay less tax." Instead, he got caught up in a scam that was not his own devising. How many people who take tax advice from professionals ever question it? Answer...nearly zero. So by simply doing what 99 percent of the population would do under the same circumstances, he finds himself in jail.

I like Nick Cage too...but his tax bill is long overdue. I don't see them dragging his butt to jail.

[DavEsch]

08:26 AM on 09/07/2011

You make an excellent point. Often Actors/Athletes/Musicians come into LARGE amounts of money. So large they have no idea how to manage it. In addition to the money its the streams of money coming in that make it even more difficult. Income from their primary duties plus endorsements and voice overs and side gigs... Most of us are use to budgeting $5k-$10k per month... These guys are doing that on a daily basis and most have never learned how to manage a balance sheet. He hired and put bad people around him... I don't think he sat in his basement by candle-light, skeeming ways to cheat the system... Ah, but I could be wrong. To maintain the Huff spirit; It's Obama's fault caused by Bush that was incited by Pelosi but capitalized upon by Cheney...And I think Carter and Regan were in the scene somewhere. There you go, I think I covered it.

[Sharon Hunt]

07:40 AM on 09/07/2011

This is a waste of federal money. He should have been made to pay all he owed plus interest and possible fines.

[Farm-Hand]

06:59 AM on 09/07/2011

Wesley you simply hired the WRONG lawyer. Helio hired Roy Black and skated on his income tax evasion. Poor Wesley.

[dvsinla]

06:20 AM on 09/07/2011

i don't get why some people goto jail for this... while others like Halliburton and Cheney etc just do what they want including torture, killing, stealing billions...

we are so backwards

[LarriLove]

05:20 AM on 09/07/2011

Wesley, don't have blonde hair first of all, Don't have a free pass like Lindsey. He's no friend of the Bush tax cuts, He has no sex tape like Kim and Paris, He tried to beat up MJ, in that video, I'm Bad, he beat Ving Rhames in a PRISON MOVIE, THE UNdefeated. They want him around to fight another bout, with either OJ or Bernie Madoxx, the fight is in negotiations at the present, stay tuned in...

[Steve1976]

12:57 AM on 09/08/2011

O.J. Simpson will die in prison.

[Red45]

07:26 PM on 10/11/2011

O.J. earned his prison time on the up-and-up from three felonies, 2 of which were murder. He's getting what's been coming to him for a long, long time.

[srmmer]

04:59 AM on 09/07/2011

G.E. and other big companies dont pay taxes so why should we have to pay taxes

[st0ked]

06:40 AM on 09/07/2011

We don’t pay congress as much as G.E. does to write the laws in our favor. What we pay them is pocket change.What G.E. pays them is real money.

[Quentinocama]

03:17 AM on 09/07/2011

Always bet on black?

[Kalemanao]

11:11 PM on 09/06/2011

JUSTICE IS NOT BLIND... (wink-wink)

"...three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file income tax returns.

"...jurors who reported misconduct... court held that it wasn't "strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence" that would warrant a new trial."

Sentence to 3-years in federal prison!

Pah-leezzze!

[spinmas]

07:20 AM on 09/07/2011

" wasn't "strong, substantia­l and incontrove­rtible evidence" that would warrant a new trial."
Jury misconduct is always grounds for a new trial~`Snipes is black and being made an example of~~

[Kalemanao]

03:14 PM on 09/07/2011

That's what I said... "Justice is NOT Blind"...

[xlmb]

10:44 PM on 09/06/2011

Give it up Snipes. You will NEVER WIN. The pioneer of this fight was John Shiff born in 1928. Was convicted again in 2005 to now serve a 12 1/2 year prison sentence and expected to be released in October of 2016 (if he lives that much longer. He had already served 4 years for the same conviction and released back in 1995. It is extremely rare when anyone wins against the IRS with charges such as Snipes has against him. Pay up or suck it up like poor Shiff who is almost twice your age and do your time. I would be the amount you have already paid for legal representation would have already paid your tab or at a minimum more than half.

[Sharon Hunt]

07:42 AM on 09/07/2011

Should have made to pay back money plus heavy fines. It always hurts more in the pocket. A total waste of federal money

[xlmb]

06:51 AM on 09/10/2011

He was Sharon. They are now on appeal. Again. I have followed this since the beginning. He actually mentioned Schiff (not by name, but used his argument.) Only Schiff was had donations. Finally no more funds. Snipes? He has the money until a judge finally throws the book at him. What really upsets me is they put an 83 year old man in jail for the second time to know serve basically a life sentence at his age and Snipes still hanging around acting as if though he is winning AND HE BETTER NOT! I believe Snipes may probably want to run for office. When they get sick of is shenanigans he will be joining Schiff. Schiff was literally fighting the law. Snipes who I have always loved as an actor and person, and NOW have no respect for him. Should rot in jail longer. PAY UP SNIPES!!!

[fishbbtnc]

10:12 PM on 09/06/2011

Wesley, call Obama and tell him the court is a racist.

[keramos]

01:22 AM on 09/07/2011

Damn that's funny. hyuck, hyuck

Did you think that up for yourself there sparky?  What a talent.

[Charles Lawson]

09:49 PM on 09/27/2011

Stop feeding the trolls...

[frsi]

01:56 AM on 09/07/2011

What on earth does that mean? Truly an ignorant comment. Truly ignorant.

[Hmmmmmmm7]

10:07 PM on 09/06/2011

My bad. It wasn't GE. It was BP. I get these things easily confused. Sorry.