Snipes seeks bond as he appeals tax convictions
OCALA, Fla. (AP) - May 21, 2008 Snipes' attorneys plan to argue before the 11th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals that the trial judge erred in several ways before
and after his February conviction. U.S. District Judge William
Terrell Hodges last month sentenced Snipes to three years in
prison.
To be granted freedom during the appeal, the 45-year-old actor
must prove that he has a substantial issue to raise and isn't a
flight risk. His attorneys argue that Hodges gave the jury bad
instructions and should have granted them an expanded pretrial
hearing on their request to move the proceedings.
Prosecutors said Snipes had no major issues to raise and has
demonstrated he could flee. In a Monday filing, U.S. Attorney
Robert O'Neill said Snipes told the probation office he had less
than $10,000 in liquid assets, but the actor surprised the
government by producing $5 million in payment for back taxes at his
sentencing.
"His apparent lack of candor about his assets, combined with
trial evidence that he has transferred millions of dollars
offshore, show some risk of flight," O'Neill wrote.
Snipes, the star of the "Blade" trilogy, "White Men Can't
Jump," "Jungle Fever" and other films, hasn't filed a tax return
since 1998, the government alleged.