<p>He’ll probably get a large fine. I doubt he gets jail time, but it is possible. He is famous, and people famous get clobbered for tax crimes as an example. His being African American has nothing to do with it. Also note that the civil tax and penalties, plus the fraud penalty will apply. The civil part will likely be more expensive than the criminal part.</p>
<p>Martha Stewart did not go to jail for insider trading. She should have kept her mouth shut. I doubt she would have gone to jail. She went to jail for obstructing justice.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the argument about Snipes though. Because he can make a lot of money he shouldn’t go to jail? So for the same crime, people who make a lot of money should not go to jail and people who don’t should?</p>
<p>Interesting form of justice.</p>
<p>I think there are way too may people in jail. We should let out the people who are in jail for taking drugs. I don’t get that one at all.</p>
<p>Ah, but P2N - is that because of the drugs or because they’re “offenses?” One of the most widely abused drugs in America is Vicodin. I’m not aware of a lot of Vicodin-related crime. In fact, I walk into the drug store all the time without thinking twice about crime!</p>
<p>That was not my argument, dstark. My argument is that is makes no sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax money (especially since, the idea is that tax dollars should be spent wisely, and we want everyone to pay their fair share) to lock a man away for years on a misdemeanor tax evasion conviction—whether or not he has the potential to “make a lot of money”. Our prisons are overcrowded, and should for the most part be reserved for criminals who pose a danger to society in some manner or other. My argument is that he should be heavily fined, and allowed to return to his career so that he can pay back taxes, fines, and future taxes. I would say the same if he were a working stiff who would never realistically be able to pay off all those fines and back taxes. At least the taxes that the rest of us have worked so hard to pay wouldn’t be wasted keeping an able-bodied man caged on a misdemeanor in order to “teach him a lesson”.:rolleyes:</p>
<p>I can’t believe all of you people are wondering “what’s the best way to get the most money out of this rich actor?” rather than wondering “how can you go to jail for not paying something you never agreed to?”</p>
<p>“Ah, but P2N - is that because of the drugs or because they’re “offenses?” One of the most widely abused drugs in America is Vicodin. I’m not aware of a lot of Vicodin-related crime. In fact, I walk into the drug store all the time without thinking twice about crime!”</p>
<p>We’ve had 31 break-ins in the past six months at pharmacies in the Vancounver, Washington area, all drug-seeking.</p>
<p>Why don’t you people compare apples to apples? Of course, there will always be drug-related crimes, but the question is how much? Compare somewhere with lax laws on drugs (e.g. Netherlands) with somewhere with strict drug laws (e.g. USA).</p>
<p>No, aruff - a band of thieves is more like a dictatorship and you have no respected voice as a victim of that gang. While Congress gets some much deserved criticism, they also get voted out of office on a regular basis.</p>
<p>While our individual input seems minimal, we have rights and systems established to seek redress of grievances should that be necessary. No one is above the law. Even a vice president was convicted of tax evasion and removed from office.</p>
<p>In return for pleading nolo contendere, or no contest, to the tax charge and paying $160,000 in back taxes (with the help of a loan from Frank Sinatra), he would receive a suspended sentence and a $10,000 fine. On October 10, 1973, while Spiro T. Agnew appeared in federal court in Baltimore, his letter of resignation was delivered to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Agnew was only the second vice president to resign the office (John C. Calhoun had been the first).</p>
<p>It’s about deterrence. There are enough people out there who find it easy enough to believe that being made to pay taxes is illegal, or can be “legally” avoided, or some other goofy fantasy which coincidentally puts a bunch of cash in their pockets that they owe to Uncle Sam that you sort of have to smack them upside the head with a 2X4 to “get their attention.” But if a rich Hollywood star like Snipes can’t get away with it, well…</p>
<p>You mean, compare a continent-spanning, multi-cultural country with the world’s third largest population to a tiny, monoculture European country with a population less than half that of California? Those apples and oranges?</p>
<p>WashDad: Are you contending that higher population results in a higher rate of drug-related crime, or that the presence of more different cultures does, or are you just being pedantic?</p>
<p>mini: Could you provide a basis for that pharmacy break-in number? As with many of your statistics, I had a hard time finding any basis for this one through Google.</p>