Snipes remains free pending appeal

23 May 2008 08:39am

Wesley Snipes will be allowed to remain free on bail as he appeals three federal tax convictions.

Judge William Terrell Hodges, sitting in Ocala, Florida, granted Snipes' motion for bail pending appeal of his case, saying that Snipes doe not pose a flight risk and is not a threat to the community.

The 45-year-old Hollywood actor was sentenced last month to three years in prison on three misdemeanour counts of wilful failure to file his income tax returns.

The actor's attorneys plan to argue before the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals that the trial judge erred in several ways before and after his February conviction.

Snipes, who is the star of the Blade trilogy of films, White Men Can't Jump, Jungle Fever and other films, has not filed a tax return since 1998, the government alleged.

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