Oh yeah, about Wesley Snipes

I long ago stopped blogging about Wesley Snipes tax trial. Pretty damned boring actually. I mean, he was already found guilty and - beginning today - is now in process of being sentenced. His lawyers want probation only, but the judge may have other ideas.

OCALA - So far, at least, in the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges has made it clear that actor Wesley Snipes could be facing the maximum three-year prison term on three counts of failing to file his taxes.

During a session that began at 9:30 a.m., Hodges first discussed the pre-sentencing report for Snipes co-defendant Eddie Ray Kahn. Then, in a back-and-forth with lawyers, the judge discussed the reports for Snipes and his other co-defendant, former accountant Douglas Rosile.

Hodges indicated that the guidelines advised the maximum 10-year sentence for Kahn, the organizer of a tax-evasion scheme, on two felony counts.

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Hodges noted that if Snipes had been convicted of the felony he would be facing something like 15 years in prison instead of a possible three-year sentence.

He declined to give Snipes credit for "accepting responsibility" for the crimes by offering to plead guilty in August on one count of misdemeanor tax evasion and offering to pay his taxes.

Even accepting the defense's calculation of $228,000 for the government tax loss, Hodges said the guidelines still advised a sentencing range of 33 - 41 months.

He noted that the maximum three-year sentence - which is one year on each misdemeanor count - is "squarely in the middle of that sentencing range.

"Why should I go any further than that," Hodges asked.

Why indeed?

UPDATE (4/25/08)

As you all have heard, shortly after I posted yesterday, the judge did sentence Wesley to 3 years. And not to a Club Fed (supposedly).

I'm glad that's over.

It's so hard out here for a ...

... white man.

Whom to hate more:

A black man

or

A white woman?

So many hatreds being a white man.

So hard to choose.

Guess I'll have to make it a coin toss.

Nora Ephron wrote: "This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women. And when I say people, I don’t mean people, I mean white men."

Now, I'm a white man in Florida, but I have problems too.

Thanks to Nora, everyone now knows how hard we white men have it.

It's kinda nice being understood.

Cool Photo

...of Vice President Cheney.

Damn, but I'll miss him.

Murder in The Villages-an update

Two updates:

Co-defendant in Villages murder sentenced to life in prison:
OCALA - Jarrord Roberts, 21, one of three co-defendants in a Villages homicide, was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday afternoon.

Roberts was convicted in February of robbery with a firearm and faced a possible life sentence on that charge. He was also sentenced to concurrent terms of 15 years for manslaughter and 5 years for attempted voluntary manslaughter.

AND

The sentencing of Renaldo McGirth, the other convicted murderer, will occur on May 5th. He will probably get the death penalty.

Justice moves slowly, but it moves.