Snipes jury selected

OCALA -- A federal judge today selected 12 white jurors and four alternates to serve in Wesley Snipes' federal tax evasion trial in Ocala, a city his lawyers have characterized as racist.

Of those, 11 are women and five are men. They include a bank teller, a radiation therapist, a caretaker for disabled children, a retired UPS employee, an orchid grower and an insurance supervisor, among others.

"I like this jury," Snipes' attorney, Robert Bernhoft said. "I have a lot of faith in human nature and I believe these 12 people and four alternates will judge fairly and judge Wesley Snipes the way they want to be judged."

The defense team has maintained that Ocala is too racist to give Snipes a fair trial.

Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges sent home several prospective jurors after they admitted they believe African-Americans commit disproportionately more crimes than others.

Another man said he has a problem with people not paying their taxes.

"When I hear people who didn't pay taxes and they are surrounded by people who are specialists, that shouldn't happen," the man told Hodges, who thanked him for his comments and said he did not have to return after lunch.

The judge had one-on-one conversations with nine potential jurors who indicated on Monday that they knew something about the case that had yet to be discussed in court. Most of them said they knew that Snipes' attorney wanted the trial moved from Ocala because defense attorneys said the city was too racist to yield a fair jury.

A Marion County grandmother in the jury pool said the postmaster told her Snipes' lawyers wanted the trial moved because of the Ku Klux Klan.

"I just smiled. That's just crazy," she told the judge during one-on-one questioning inside the courtroom. "A good lawyer is going to go with everything he's got for you. There are racists and everything but I don't feel there's a problem in all of Ocala."

Prosecutors accused Snipes of filing false tax return claims in 1996 and 1997 totaling $11.4-million. The Internal Revenue Service also says Snipes did not file tax returns at all from 1999-2004. Snipes denies wrongdoing.

Court resumes tomorrow at 9 a.m. After opening statements, prosecutors plan to call their first four witnesses.

-- By Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Comments

[dave]

His attorney should now file a motion claiming that Snipes cant get a fair trial in that venue because everyone in Ocala knows that his Attorney is an idiot.

[amanda]

I have to agree with dave, but I also think that his attorney is just money hungry.

[Curt]

Blade should have payed his taxes.

[Tony]

I think Ocala should file a law suit against Wesley Snipes. By insinuating that he can't get a fair trial because Ocala is racist is a racist comment. Here we are again with Blacks making statements that Whites get chastized over.

[Jeff]

So, potential jurors who would other wise qualify get dismissed if they had heard about the well publicized inflammatory statement made by Snipe's lawyer? In other words, the defense attorney created the means for disqualifying jurors where none previously existed. That is a damn good lawyer! He is obviously part of the 99% that give the other 1% of lawyers a bad rep.

[Amy]

What is so confusing to Snipes and his lawyer? You either filed a proper tax return or you didn't. Damn IRS, just trying to keep the black man down! Racists!

[ron mexico]

i think that they should have gone after hooters employess. look if the founders of hooters can get over on the IRS then the Snipes either neeeds that guy or have hooters staff on the jury.
its not race its fraud. we all pay way to much in taxes and dont make millions like hollyweed actors. if he is convicted then give him the max as an example and let everyone not named bush know that crime is a jailable offense

Funny how this spook can cry racism without any factual evidence - just say it is a racist city. Where does he want the trial moved? Detroit?

Really, how dare he cry racism… when the world is filled with open-minded and “all men are created equal” people… like 9:32.

… inbred-redneck moron