Snipes wants Ocala jury stats

Actor Wesley Snipes' attorney filed a motion Tuesday asking for limited disclosure of statistical information from jury records at the Ocala federal courthouse.

Robert E. Barnes, Snipes' attorney, said the defense wants to know the demographics of the jury wheel for 2003 and 2005.

They may to use it to support a pretrial motion aimed at ensuring that a fair cross-section of possible jurors are called to Snipes' tax evasion trial in January.

In a Nov. 5 motion, Snipes' attorney called Ocala a "hotbed of Klan activity" and said the city is too racist to yield a fair jury for the trial.

Interim U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill responded in court documents by saying that Snipes' motion to have the trial moved because of race issues "hurls scurrilous and baseless accusations at the prosecution and citizenry of Ocala in an overwrought attempt to have this case dismissed or transferred to another venue."

The federal judge handling the case has not responded to either motion but set a hearing in Ocala on Dec. 11 for attorneys to address outstanding issues.

- Kevin Graham, Times staff writer