On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 15:21:12 GMT, Kook of the Month Nominee
<spamspamspam@spam.spam> wrote:

Jason Christie <spamspamspam@spam.spam> wrote in
news:0jcsjv8aokb4fhdj6dsdl257hmnr56fs08@4ax.com:

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 15:16:33 -0400, "starvinmarvin" <sm@sm.com>
wrote:

All she was acquitted from was the going to jail part, she still has
to pay the taxes.....the jury did not find that she was not required
to pay just that she was not required to go to jail for not
paying...still it could open a can of worms for the IRS, hence you
won't hear much about it.

It's only been reported in the New York Times and the Associated
Press, with an interview on Fox:

The Big Story With John Gibson, August 12, 2003 on Fox is not
"mainstream"?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94630,00.html

BTW, Larry Becraft said in that interview:

"BECRAFT: And we tried the case last week. In a criminal case, the
only thing that happens, the only question that the jury decides is
whether or not the defendant that is on trial committed the crime.
We had some very interesting facts that were presented to the jury.
We had a theme for the defense. The jury bought that and found her
not guilty. The next question of civil liability for the amount of
taxes is further down the road. I would anticipate here that the IRS
is probably going to be sending her a 90-day letter for the six
years that were the subject of the indictment. And that might be
coming in the next couple of months."

How widespread is the reporting, dimwit?

Gee, Jason, and here I thought you read everything I posted. No,
wait, you "plonked" me? Guess you lied again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/business/12TAX.html

http://www.newgomemphis.com/newgo/core/archives.htm

Search Archives

* JURY ACQUITS PILOT, WHO QUESTIONED IRS, OF TAX-EVASION COUNTS
* Published on August 9, 2003. Article 1 of 3 found.

SOURCE: Shirley Downing

downing@gomemphis.com
A federal jury Friday found FedEx pilot Vernice Kuglin not guilty of
evading income taxes on $920,000.


The question of tax payment was unresolved at the end of the five-day
trial.

"I think it is safe to assume the IRS will attempt civil collection,
but she is not guilty of tax evasion," said defense attorney Robert
Bernhoft of Milwaukee.

"I feel justified," a grinning Kuglin said after the verdict was
returned at midafternoon. She stood outside the...
407 words, The Commercial Appeal
Click for complete article ($2.95)

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 1:47 pm Post subject: VICTORY ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Jury acquits pilot, who questioned IRS, of tax-evasion counts

By Shirley Downing
August 9, 2003

A federal jury Friday found FedEx pilot Vernice Kuglin not guilty of
evading income taxes on $920,000.

The question of tax payment was unresolved at the end of the five-day
trial.

"I think it is safe to assume the IRS will attempt civil collection,
but she is not guilty of tax evasion," said defense attorney Robert
Bernhoft of Milwaukee.

"I feel justified," a grinning Kuglin said after the verdict was
returned at midafternoon. She stood outside the federal building,
chatting with supporters and jurors.

Federal prosecutor Joe Murphy was not available for comment.

Kuglin, 58, was charged with six counts of tax evasion that could have
meant up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines.

The government accused Kuglin of filing false W4 forms for the period
from 1996 to 2001.

Kuglin, a pilot for FedEx since 1985, said she had paid taxes like
anyone else for most of her life. But about 10 or 11 years ago, she
began to question the federal tax system. She began to read court
documents, legal opinions and the federal tax code.

She said she found what she felt were contradictions. She wanted to
know where in the federal tax code it said she was liable for taxes.

Kuglin wrote the Internal Revenue Service twice in 1995 with questions
but said she didn't get a response.

Murphy, in closing arguments on Thursday, said Kuglin did have an
opportunity to discuss her situation with the IRS, to learn what she
owed and what documents she was required to file "and she didn't."

Defense attorney Larry Becraft of Huntsville, Ala., said Kuglin
decided mandatory payment of income taxes "did not apply to her."

After the verdict Friday, Becraft said the federal tax code is a
confusing conglomeration that "at best is a walking due process
violation."

He said the average American simply doesn't understand the tax code.

Juror Barbara Snodgras of Memphis said the jury did not convict
because "we all felt that the prosecution didn't prove its case."

When asked if she planned to start paying federal income taxes again,
Kuglin replied: "I will pay all the taxes for which I am liable."

Copyright 2003, GoMemphis. All Rights Reserved.[/i]


* LAWYER: PILOT BELIEVED SHE WAS TAX EXEMPT
* Published on August 6, 2003. Article 2 of 3 found.

SOURCE: Shirley Downing
Pilot Vernice Kuglin did not file income tax returns on $920,000 in
earnings because she believed the federal tax code did not apply to
her, her lawyer told federal court jurors Tuesday.


Kuglin, 58, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, and with filing
false W-4 forms for the period 1996 to 2001. Conviction carries up to
30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines.

Federal prosecutor Joe Murphy said Kuglin "had a lot of income" during
that time, but she...
213 words, The Commercial Appeal
Click for complete article ($2.95)


* MEMPHIAN CHARGED WITH TAX EVASION
* Published on April 9, 2003. Article 3 of 3 found.

SOURCE: Bill Dries
A Memphis woman has been charged with failing to file federal income
tax returns for six years.


Vernice B. Kuglin, 58, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week
on six counts of tax evasion covering 1996-2001.

Kuglin is accused of filing false W-4 forms for five of the six tax
years and paying no taxes on $920,000 in income.

If convicted, Kuglin faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and $1.5
million in...
115 words, The Commercial Appeal
Click for complete article ($2.95)


Tax Refuser Wins Federal Evasion Case
Federal Jury in Tennessee Acquits Tax Refuser of Evasion After IRS
Fails to Answer Letters

The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Aug. 12 -
A woman who said she refused to pay federal income taxes because the
IRS didn't respond to her inquiries about tax law has been acquitted
of tax evasion.

Vernice Kuglin, a 58-year-old FedEx pilot, had been charged with six
counts of tax evasion. Had she been convicted by the federal court
jury, she would have faced up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million
in fines.

"I feel justified," she said after Friday's verdict.

Kuglin said she began to question the federal tax system about 10
years ago and wrote the Internal Revenue Service twice in 1995 with
questions about what law required her to pay taxes. She said she
didn't get a response. On Dec. 30, 1995, she filed a withholding
statement directing that no taxes be withheld from her pay.

The government accused Kuglin of filing false W4 forms from 1996 to
2001, during which time she earned $920,000 in income. Normal
withholding would have been about $250,000.

Federal prosecutor Joe Murphy said during closing arguments that
Kuglin did have an opportunity to sit down and discuss her situation
with the IRS, "and she didn't."

The five-day trial did not resolve whether she must make the tax
payment.

"I think it is safe to assume the IRS will attempt civil collection,
but she is not guilty of tax evasion," said defense attorney Robert
Bernhoft.

Larry Becraft, another defense attorney, said after the verdict that
the federal tax code is confusing and "at best is a walking due
process violation."

Becraft, who helped win acquittals for 17 defendants in another
Memphis tax trial 12 years ago, said the letters from his client to
the IRS showed a lack of criminal intent to evade tax laws and that
she sincerely believed her conduct was proper.

"The whole thing could have been resolved if the government had simply
answered her questions," Becraft said. "It didn't happen. I made an
argument to the jury that an American has a right to ask the
government for answers."

IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis was unable to state agency policy on
responding to letters asking it to specify the law that makes people
liable for income taxes.

She said the IRS had posted various items on its Web site and issued
news releases stating that taxes are mandatory. The first words of the
Internal Revenue Code are "a tax is hereby imposed."

When asked if she planned to start paying federal income taxes again,
Kuglin said: "I will pay all the taxes for which I am liable."

She said she believes the 16th amendment to the Constitution giving
Congress the power to collect income taxes and the Internal Revenue
Code are constitutional, "but I also feel there is a gross
misapplication of the individual income tax laws by the IRS."

Kuglin said she hopes to resume flying for the Memphis-based cargo
airline as soon as the government returns her passport, which was
seized after her indictment this year.

Searching Google News

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2178041,0
0.html

'Justified' pilot acquitted of tax evasion charges
MEMPHIS - A woman who said she refused to pay federal income taxes
because the IRS didn't respond to her inquiries about tax law has been
acquitted of tax evasion.

Vernice Kuglin, a 58-year-old FedEx pilot, had been charged with six
counts of tax evasion.

Kuglin said she began to question the federal tax system about 10
years ago and wrote the Internal Revenue Service twice in 1995 with
questions about what law required her to pay taxes. She said she
didn't get a response. On Dec. 30, 1995, she filed a withholding
statement directing that no taxes be withheld from her pay.

The government accused Kuglin of filing false W4 forms from 1996 to
2001, during which time she earned $920,000 in income. Normal
withholding would have been about $250,000.

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1399247

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0803/13notaxpay.html

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-tax13.html

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V0375
.AP-Tax-Evasion-Acq.html

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/6518380.htm

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/content/news/ap_story.html/Natio
nal/AP.V0375.AP-Tax-Evasion-Acq.html

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/6518380.htm

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/6518380.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030812_941.html

And television (just as examples):

http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=1399247

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1399247

If those aren't enough, there's more.