From the August 2003 Idaho Observer:

Jury refuses to convict in Tennessee tax evasion case

From We The People

A Memphis federal jury acquitted FedEx pilot Vernice Kuglin of six counts of felony Tax Evasion and Willful Failure to File tax returns Friday, August 8.

Kuglin's attorneys, Tax Honesty Movement barristers Larry Becraft and Robert G. Bernhoft, told reporters that Kuglin was indicted seven months ago and had refused to plead the case out for a lesser sentence. During her testimony Kuglin testified that since 1995, she had sent numerous letters to the IRS requesting that they inform her of what law required her to pay the Individual Income Tax. To this day, she has not received an answer.

The jury returned “not guilty” verdicts on all counts after a five-day trial.

After the jury had been excused the U.S. Attorney reportedly demanded that the judge order the defendant to file her forms, pay her taxes and obey the law. The Judge reportedly replied, “Sir, I don't work for the IRS.”

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

This is a landmark jury verdict. The federal government has been illegally taxing the wages of working Americans largely due to juries' ignorance of the income tax's constitutional and historic implications.

Prohibition was ended in this country largely due to juries refusing to convict. “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, Wisconsin.

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.”

We the People Congress recently named prominent attorney Mark Lane as lead counsel for a civil action to be filed against the federal govenment with the intent of forcing it to answer pertinent questions about the income tax in court.

The effect of this case on future IRS court cases has yet to be seen.