The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Tuesday turned away the latest attempt by Wesley Snipes to get his conviction and prison sentence on tax charges overturned.
The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeal by Snipes, who was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanour counts of wilful failure to file income tax returns.
His defence lawyers contended they received e-mails from former jurors reporting misconduct among other members of the panel. One of the former jurors said in the e-mail that three other jurors acknowledged they had determined Snipes was guilty before the trial began.
A federal court rejected the request for a new trial and noted that there were reasons to question the veracity of the allegations made in the e-mails. The 11th Circuit upheld the ruling on Tuesday, finding that there wasn't "strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence" that would warrant a new trial.
Snipes started a three-year term in a Pennsylvania prison in December.
The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeal by Snipes, who was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanour counts of wilful failure to file income tax returns.
His defence lawyers contended they received e-mails from former jurors reporting misconduct among other members of the panel. One of the former jurors said in the e-mail that three other jurors acknowledged they had determined Snipes was guilty before the trial began.
A federal court rejected the request for a new trial and noted that there were reasons to question the veracity of the allegations made in the e-mails. The 11th Circuit upheld the ruling on Tuesday, finding that there wasn't "strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence" that would warrant a new trial.
Snipes started a three-year term in a Pennsylvania prison in December.
