Snipes: Ocala too racist for tax trial

OCALA -- Actor Wesley Snipes calls Ocala a "hotbed of Klan activity" in federal court documents, arguing that the city is too racist to seat a fair jury at his tax evasion trial.

The motion filed this week in federal court calls for the charges to be dismissed or the venue changed. It also includes results from a telephone survey, commissioned by Snipes' attorneys, that says 63 percent of people polled in Ocala think the Confederate flag is a sign of pride rather than prejudice.

In the Southern District of New York, where Snipes wants his trial moved, about 33 percent of people polled expressed similar views, the survey says.

"The government ... deliberately chose the most racially discriminatory venue available to the government, with the best possibility of an all-white southern jury," Robert G. Bernhoft, Snipes' attorney, writes in the motion.

Snipes' ethnic background is African-American and Native American, and he has strong ties to the Latino community, Bernhoft says.

"While many Ocala jurors may be fair, substantial pockets of prejudice persist," Bernhoft writes. "Just one or two prejudiced jurors can prevent Snipes a unanimous verdict of impartial jurors, and such a risk is uniquely present here in compared to Manhattan. It is the real reason for the government's exceptional venue manipulation: a jury as partial and prejudiced as possible against Snipes."

The U.S. Attorney's Office declined today to comment on the motion.

"Our response will come through the court," said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Steve Cole.

Snipes, 45, was born in Orlando and recently lived in Windemere.

The Blade and White Men Can't Jump star surrendered to federal authorities in December on charges that he defrauded the Internal Revenue Service of more than $11-million in taxes.

Also named in the indictment are Eddie Ray Kahn, a tax protest group leader from Sorrento, and Douglas P. Rosile, an unlicensed accountant from Venice. The three men are accused of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and presenting a false claim for payment to the agency.

Prosecutors say Kahn and Rosile helped Snipes, who earned $5-million to $8-million per film in the mid 1990s, file amended tax returns for 1996 and 1997. They said he didn't owe taxes and was due refunds of $4-million and $7.3-million.

In September, Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges denied Snipes' request to have his trial moved to New York City from Ocala. He also denied a request from Snipes to have his trial separate from the two co-defendants.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

[AP photo]

Comments

[Totally Agree]

He's right!!! It is too Racist! But of course white folks are completely blind to this fact ...so they will probably be on this blog disputing me in about 4...3...2....1 Now!!

[Kay]

He is displaying exactly the same attitude as what he says occurs there. I will personally never watch another of his movies.

[beth]

it always racism when black people dont get there way.

get over it

[me]

Beth, move to Ocala

[Bob]

So the star of a movie called "White Men Can't Jump" is complaining about rascism?

Racism is just an eay way of saying - we need to try this case in an area with more millionares who appreciate creative accounting. It's a legal strategy - if you think it's anything more than that, you're being duped.

[Paul]

Nice way to deflect the real crime he commited, failed to pay taxes to the tune of 11 million. Its noise, that's all these racist comments are. The issue is he failed to pay a serious amount of taxes. The area is so racist that he actually owns a home close by? Doesn't sound too bad of an area to me. Ok for him to live there, but nope, got to move the trial to a nuthouse like NYC. I don't think I'll watch his movies anymore if he doesn't want to pay his fair share.

[Jason]

Ummm fair trial? Was it fair for him to evade his taxes? I think not, probably did it because he was black. OH!!!!! Wait....!!! that would be racist!! Give me a break Snipes...your just as racist as Ocala. Your movies sucked anyway. Except blade, where you spoke very few words.

[Joanne]

I find a tremendous amount of racism in Florida, and I'm white. People say things assuming you are "on their side" that are attrocious. I agree that he COULD get a very biased jury in Ocala, or several other areas of the state. If he's found guilty, it should be because the government has a good case. And if they have a good case, what would it hurt to move the trial to a different venue?

[LB]

Hope the normal public can see that just because he's an actor and famous..blah blah blah.. he is a loser, capital L = LOSER!!!

[Lee]

So asking feelings about the Confederate flag are scientifically proven to show racism? This is a dog and pony show. I am from the South and proudly have a Confederate flag in my home in which my soon to be Dominican wife will be moving into soon so that my pride in being Southern proves that I am a racist. I would say that prejudging a person based on the way they feel about a flag is being prejudice as well. It sounds like a guilty man trying anything to get away with a crime. It is a shame so many people are crying wolf about racism today that we cannot hear real stories of racism. Like the black fireman in St. Pete who could not get any help from the NAACP, but was passed over for years for promotion solely because he was black.

[john]

Play that race card.

How come every time something doesn't go their way, blacks claim racism?

What happens when things don't go their way for white people? What do we get to blame???

[Paul]

No matter what anyone says about the racist thing, that's still not the point. He failed to pay taxes, Snipes broke the law! He is creating noise to detract from his crime. Tax crimes sent Capone to prison, Snipes is next! May make for a movie when he finally gets out.

[Betsy]

This is crazy. The man is a fool. He needs to pay his taxes. Things are just as racist in the North as they are in the South. A confederate flag does not represent racism, it represents the South. White hoods and burning crosses represent racism.

[john]

i seem to recall when the FHP clocked Snipes doing 120 MPH in South Florida years ago it was also racism. Snipes needs to realize when you break the law, the only color that matters is GREEN.

[kai]

ok whoever "pissed" is... i AGREE with you, this tony person is a moron and should burn in hell like all the other racists :-) oh and as for wesley snipes-- they just need to make him pay what he owes, along with fees and interest... then add on a few months in jail and some community service. how hard is it for the government to just do what they need to do and get it done with?!

[R3]

First of all the Klan are a bunch of fools. That being said no decent Southern White Male has to take that crap from Snipes or any other person. I have allegiance to one flag, I'm not a hyphen American and I don't judge people by their color. Calling me a racist because I'm a White male is an insult and it's no longer a freebie.

[Mary]

Since when did tax evasion become a racial issue? Jeez, Wesley! Save it for when it really occurs!

[Jim]

The "stars & bars" flag was created to be able to differentiate from the U.S flag, which ended up winning the war. We don't fly defeated armies flags' from any other war. Grant it, this was a civil war, but it also is creepy if not racist when you see one. I'm white & have family that love the flag. I don't care for it. Also don't think it is an accurate way of deciding whether one is racist. BUT, the choice of Ocala is peculiar if not interesting. Do they think people there won't know anything about this trial therefore he is getting a fair and impartial jury? Lived in FL my entire life and the impression of Ocala is good ol boy country. Good luck but 11 million is a lot to steal from the govt. Kind of what you did when you didn't pay your taxes! They nailed me for $1,100 for an honest mistake when I did mine. Guess what? I paid it! Your turn buccaroo!

[Mo]

Wow! I can not believe people with the "why do blacks always cry racism". Wake up folks! Anyone with a brain can see it's his way of trying to get away with his crime...PERIOD. However, until one of you whites complaining about ALL blacks or blacks ALWAYS crying fowl actually wakes up black...don't even think you have a right to dictate my experiences with racism. You can pretend it doesn't exist all you want; reality is hard to swallow sometimes even for you. Anyone commenting that "blacks need to get over it" is showing some racist tendencies. Get a clue. Wesley is an idiot and isn't exactly a favorite among females in the black community anyway. We aren't worthy to grace his arm; White, Asian and Latin are his flavors of choice.
Do the crime; do the time. The Klan might be just what he needs.

[TimA]

Has Dog The Bounty Hunter moved to Ocala?

[john]

If Snipes wants a change of venue, why doesn't he petition for a change to Atlanta. It is still in the Southeast district and he would stand a much better chance of getting a more diverse jury with virtually no prior knowledge of the allegations against him.

[Mike]

***eye roll***

[Just Curious]

Mo:

What have been your personal experiences with racism?

I am not trying to start a fight, I am just curious.

[Truth]

They should move the trial to St. Pete where the Uhurus could be ready to incite riots and Mayor Rick Baker could name a gym after him.

[Monica Blewbillski]

Dang Wesley, just pay the fine.

Those bloodsucking lawyers of yours will cost you much more than the penalties and interest you are racking up!

[Tom]

We have an adversarial legal system in the US and Snipes attorney is putting on a vigorous defense. In other countries, without an adversarial system, it is held against you if you do not cooperate with the prosecution. I prefer the adversarial system.

I think it is an interesting argument that Snipes attorney puts forth - it will be equally interesting to see what what the court rules.

The Confederate flag is not a "sign of pride" - it is a symbol for an ill-considered secession.

[Jason]

I wanna move to ocala

[Paul]

This is a legal attempt to push away from the crime and draw attention to something that is not there. Ocala is no more racist than Orlando, Miami, Tampa or Atlanta. I have lived in all 5 cities and Ocala has no more racists than the others. Heck, Atlanta is one cop shooting away from having a civil meltdown, just wait.

[Tim]

Maybe they could move his trial to the panhandle. You know, where the all-white jury failed to comprehend the video tape of 6 cops choking a 14 year old black boy to death.

[chuck]

Say it isnt so Blade!!! The race card?? As an American that thinks we all pay too much in taxes I was feelin your pain brother. Now I see we are not brothers and I am sad. I will never watch New Jack City, Boys in the Hood or To Wong Foo again. You hurt me with your insensitivity.

[James]

For Snipes this is actually a very smart strategy. Mr. Snipes and his counsel may not actually believe that juries in Ocala are racist. But, by filing this motion and creating this inflammatory story, he may just create his own impartial jury. During jury selection, both sides will likely not find a juror who did not hear the story or who wasn't reasonably offended by this move. He'll likely get his change of venue on that basis.

[TB]

Have any of you ever even been to Ocala?!! Snipes is nuts. Most people living there are retirees from up North. That phone survey his attorney took is bogus.

[Tom]

Folks, the reality is, racism aside, that he would stand a better chance of being acquitted of the charges in Florida, where jurors are more anti-tax than in New York. Let him take his chances with a NYC jury. Not that the judge is going to grant such an absurd request, anyway.

white people made him do it...you people made him not pay..it's because he's black

[Mike]

So a black kid dies and goes to heaven. Upon arrival, he is presented with a pair of wings from God. He says, "yes, I'm an angel." God replies, "shut up, you're a bat. Now f@#k off."

If he wants to play the race card, I'll give him a reason to play the race card.

[Mike]

Here's another one...

How does a black woman know she's pregnant?

She sticks a banana in her vagina, and if it comes out half-eaten...there's another monkey on the way!

F#*k off, Wesley Snipes!

"You may run like Mays, but you hit like s*#t!"

[KC]

Wesley -The bottom line is that if you would have just paid your tax bill, and not dogged it, by fleeing the country, it would be over for you, You bought this on yourself!!! Baby taxes are not a black or white thing, they are friggin taxes ,and on top of that I'm sure you wrote off so much that you are paying only the minimum. My tax bill for last year was 30K and I do an Admin job! I don't have the money to pay, unlike like you, but I am being accessed for penaties, interest, fines, etc. You consider yourself amongst the elite, exempt from scrutiny because you are a famous person, not because you an African America. (Oops until it's time to call a race card!!!) You'll get as fair a trail as anywhere else in the US. Don't bring race into this because when I see you I don't see color I only see a tax evader. I vote for a trial in Ocala. Anyways Wesley we have several country club jails here in Florida, of mixed race, that will be glad to have you as a guess. DO YOUR TIME OR PAY YOUR FINE A"HOLE!

[aldo fabrizi]

wesley,I love those two movies they were good,the problem here is you listend to eddie ray,hell i dont want to pay taxes either,and if i had to pay millions i would do the same if you want millions try and get it,well there knockin now so tighten up .do what a gotta do and no more,man u make millions and our gov wants it,well a good amount of it ,,me im gonna watch the world go round p.s. i would try to avoid those nasty late fees lets see what your turny can do for ya,, love ya, alan,f. pasco co. fl. 34610

[sybil]

dear wes. yes ocala is a hotbed of klan. theres no dought in my mind,but its where you live, for reasons unknown,and its where the tax man can find you,yes,i would set up some type of losing charity thing ,funny i have a charity, need to lose a few bucks, throw some my way,,i'll even give it back to ya ,after the fact,,why cause i dont like my goverment ,ive seen where top officals have defrauded this country and they somehow talked there way out or set up a dummie fund ,im sure you got friends in holliwood that can help ya ,,meanwhile our gov, is costing us trillions a week fighting some war and murdering too, how can i look up to that, i do not want to support that do you,,thats proberly why you dont want to pay either,,trillions a week fighting a war and their worried about your couple of mill..

[Mo]

2 Just Curious - I've been followed around stores despite being dressed for work in business clothes and heels...and a tiny purse to boot. One woman that followed me through the store watching my every move was so intent thinking I was stealing that she didn't even see the young white girls I was watching stuff makeup and jewelry in every pocket or crevice they owned. I've had places of business treat a white customer ahead of me wonderfully yet speak to me in clipped tones and no eye contact. They can place the change in that customer's hand just brushing them yet literally drop my change in my hand avoiding any contact. I work in the securities industry in a professional building and have experienced times when you watch someone shake a colleague's hand firmly yet barely grasp mine like they can't wait to pull away. These are those little things though there are bigger situations and instances I haven't mentioned. Racism is ignorance and it's ugly..but know that it is still very much alive in this country..IT IS REAL.

[Mo]

Mike, you should be ashamed of yourself. Hopefully for you, you are really young and immature because if you are an adult and you actually think that's funny enough to post out here, you may want to watch yourself. People like you tend to forget their surroundings and you never know who is within hearing distance of the filth you think is amusing. Where some may dismiss your childish ignorance, others may want to take extreme measures to rid us of you or the world from the possibility of you procreating.

[Mo]

TB...sorry but those good ole boys still live there. No one said the place was saturated from one side to the other but there certainly are plenty of folks living there who still think the same way they did before the civil rights movement.

Either way, Wesley is a chump and needs to cough up the dough. He knew what they were doing. Since he prefers to surround himself with people "not his color" don't go crying about someone is treating you bad because you're black when you know anybody with common sense knows it's the only excuse apparently that dumb azz atty came up with. Don't shuck off being black bro then switch back when you need some help...that sh*t didn't work for OJ - smart black folks were not clapping for his azz that day.

[Just Curious]

Mo:

25 years age when I lived in Houston, TX, I ahd a really close black female friend. We were co-workers and used to go to lunch &
dinner alot. She became pregnant and when she was really showing we used to get all kinds of looks from EVERYBODY, some of them scary. at first it bothered us, be we dined so often we got used to it and later found it funny. we never dated because we were married to others, but we really enjoyed each others company and shared the same birthday, even to the year.

[Pedro..100% Puerto Rican]

Listen to this comment.I moved to ocala from New Jersey in 1993.In two years I HAD to leave.Nothin but racist,
racist,people out there.They have a small town out there called..HOG VALLEY
don't get seen there if ur not "WHITE"
Apparently I ended up back there and it was ONLY cause of a son that I had while I was there.If it wasn't for him I probably would still be in jersey right now.ANyway I still couldn't see all the raceism and problems the minority people were having there.The bad part about it all is The DAM police.
They don't harass the country clubs.Those country boys get just as rowdy as us city boys do.Any club with black or hispanic people hangin out in beleive you me a "white" police officer is gonna pick the one he wants to harass.I've been a victim to that just waiting for a cab to come pick me up.I was told to get the hell outta town and find another way to get home,and if they came around the corner and seen me still standing there they were gonna arrest me for loitering in a private area and i was standing in a public area.So tell me there not racist.And the spot where I was at is allways full of people hanging out.It just happen to be a bit late and I was alone.So yeah MR.SNIPES,get ur ship outta there a-sap.

Mo,

you really don't understand what racism is. We suffer it every day with the ms.Black pagent, black entertainement tv, and the rule that the nfl has to interview atleast one black nfl coach before hireing a new coach. That's racism,,blatent reacism. The there's the almighty al sharpton, he said all the black inmates in american jails are alegedely guilty. But when there's a white candidate that says he's going to help the white population then he's a racist. Enough is enough. The only reason you guys don't like wesley id because he dates white women..That's racist. I guess the path of dividig and conquor is working. make white people feel like racist's then the few turn on the others cause they feel they have to make up for slavery and you win. Black slaves were bought by black slave traders in africa. It's unfortunate but it happened. You gotta admit life is pretty good in this racist country

[Mike]

Thank you to whomever posted that last comment. Mo has no idea. Taking offense to off the cuff jokes when she or he - I don't know with a name like that - has no clue.

[Mo]

Per the dictionary racism is racial prejudice or discrimination. Since no self respecting black person would make a joke about monkey babies it would seem you have no clue. "Off the cuff"? It is derogatory. I never said all white people are racists, many people are racist which means racism is alive and well in this country. When you discriminate against me for no other reason than my skin color you are bring racist. If it makes you feel better to think that racism isn't real or that any form of racism is wrong, then maybe you need to take a look at yourself.

[jennifer]

Just another way to prolong the inevitable.
Have the trial and get it over.
Pay your taxes and move on.