12:00 AM -:- Posted by Allen    

Vernice B. Kuglin --Legal Cite

Courtesy of Freedom Law School, here is the legal citation for Vernice Kuglin's win over the IRS:

U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) # 03-CR-20111, USA v. Kuglin

As most people who care about these things must know by now, 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.

Note that in the report on this story that provided the above information (the August 9th edition of the Memphis daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal), prosecuting US Attorney Murphy, is quoted in closing arguments on Thursday, as saying 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."

Note that even Murphy is non-responsive and misdirecting in his pretended response to Kuglin's question!

Kuglin didn't ask how much she owed, because she had stopped assuming that she owed anything at all. And she didn't ask what forms to file, because she had stopped assuming that she was required to file any forms at all.

Kuglin asked only that the IRS tell her where in the federal tax code it said she was liable for taxes.

US Attorney Murphy was probably only trying to redirect the jury into thinking something different than the facts. Or he had just spent the night on Mars and hadn't yet gotten over rocket lag.

Obviously, the truth means nothing to these people. And apparently, neither does respecting the intelligence of the jury.

It's true that there are a lot of hopelessly stupid people around, but to treat a jury like idiots is a sure-fire path to losing. At least it was in this case, where the jury didn't buy the smoke and mirrors.