Wesley Snipes, who we all know is in trouble with the Federal government for not paying income taxes, has used numerous reasons to try and explain his tax debts but now he is claiming racial discrimination in an attempt to throw out his criminal case. According to this article from the Smoking Gun, Mr. Snipes and his legal team have claimed that prosecutors "deliberately chose the most racially discriminatory venue available" for his trial to take place. The documents claim that the current location in Florida is a "hotbed of Klan activity" where "substantial pockets of prejudice exist." These are all reasons cited in an attempt to get Snipes trial moved from the Ocala, Florida to the Southern District of New York.
In the motion Snipes attorneys claim the Federal government’s lawyers are trying to get an "all-white Southern jury" to hurt Ms. Snipes chances at a fair trial. But, as if the motion alone wasn’t enough, Mr. Snipes also conducted a public opinion roll comparing racial attitudes in both Ocala and New York. This is Snipes second attempt to get the venue for his trial changed; a federal judge rejected the first.