Hovind and his wife, Jo, are accused of tax evasion, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes at his Creation Science Evangelism Ministry, which inlcudes Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street. Hovind, a tax protester, makes a substantial amount of money. But he believes he and his employees work for God, are paid by God and, therefore, aren't subject to taxation. Schneider testified this morning that Jo Hovind requested financial help for her bills from Baptist Health Care, claiming that she had no income. Schneider also said the Hovinds wrote checks to their children from their Christian Science Evangelism account. They also withdrew money from that account for cashier's checks. On one day, a $9,000 check was withdrawn for their son, Eric. That same day, another $9,000 check was withdrawn for Eric's wife, Tanya. Schneider said Kent Hovind refused to give a tax identification number to the First Baptist Church of Satsuma in Alabama, where he spoke. The church paid him a $738 fee. The tax ID number would have been used on a tax-reporting form.
Dr. Dino case resumes
According to the Pensacola News-Journal story, the Hovind tax evasion trial was delayed last week because his attorney, Jerry Barringer, was ill. See also this earlier story.
30 Comments
LL · 30 October 2006
What about the $250,00 prize for anyone who can prove scientific evolution?
GuyeFaux · 30 October 2006
Yeah, he'll have some difficulty to pay out when the IRS seizes his property and assets.
JohnS · 30 October 2006
LL
You have to prove a lot more than evolution to get the money. Basically it's evolution plus the origins of life, the universe and everything.
Even if you do prove it all to the satisfaction of every person on the planet except KH, you still don't get the money.
This is a man who takes the modus operandi of the typical flock fleecer one step further than almost anyone else.
Parse · 31 October 2006
minimalist · 31 October 2006
It doesn't really matter anymore, because the terms of Hovind's challenge have changed.
He is now offering a prize of $every-penny-he's-worth to anyone who can prove him guilty of tax evasion.
And it looks like someone's going to collect!
Michael Suttkus, II · 31 October 2006
The Chewbacca Defense is Hovind's SOP anyway. How else do you explain the rants about bigfoot and the government watching you through your television?
Unfortunately for Hovind, the standard of proof for his current situation is "beyond a reasonable doubt", not "enough to convince an unreasonable doubter."
Hovind should hold out for a jury of his true peers. Enough paranoid nutjobs on the jury and he'll get off.
steve s · 31 October 2006
Kent: Well, now that you've heard my story, what kind of defense should we go with?
Lawyer: Not guilty by reason of complete batshit insanity, is my first guess.
steve s · 31 October 2006
I'm not entirely kidding about that. If they went with a defense that he wasn't guilty because he cannot tell reality from fantasy, I'd have to vote on their side.
Anton Mates · 31 October 2006
GuyeFaux · 31 October 2006
AJ · 31 October 2006
Kent Hovind has always assured us that he has the $250,000 to reward anyone who can prove his strawman version of evolution - I wonder if the IRS can count that as part of his assets?
Sir_Toejam · 31 October 2006
ScottN · 1 November 2006
Jeff Guinn · 1 November 2006
Somewhat, but not entirely OT:
Very recently I decided to engage in some respectful debate at Uncommon Descent, posting as Frisbee.
And promptly got banned.
I was always pretty certain of ID's shortcomings as a scientific theory. Now I am just as certain of UD's intellectual shortcomings.
(Please don't berate me for a foolish waste of time. It was a scientific experiment that ended up replicating previous results.)
Parse · 1 November 2006
Jeff, Dembski's blog, as well nearly anything ID related, is just one large echo chamber. The only acceptable comments are those which agree with their basic premises - if you don't blindly accept these, you will be banned.
Granted, Panda's Thumb can also be considered an echo chamber of sorts, but rather than banning people who disagree, we simply tear through their arguments like a chainsaw through butter. I can't imagine Matzke or PvM posting their viewpoints on UD as freely as Luskin et al have been able to here.
MarkP · 1 November 2006
DaveScot's commentary as to why he banned Scaryfacts (it's the person, not the argument, that matters) puts the intellectual vapidity of ID out there for all to see.
In a way we should thank them for that attitude. The more they isolate themselves, the more wacky they will become, and the wackier they will look to all not versed in their strange varient of English.
Bill Gascoyne · 1 November 2006
doyle · 1 November 2006
Today's update from the Pensacola reporter:
"The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of Pensacola evangelist and tax protestor Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo.
The defense will not present a case."
But, why? Present your case. Now's your chance. Take the stand and simply explain to the jury what you've been saying all along. That should work.
Doc Bill · 1 November 2006
What's the strategy behind not presenting a defense?
fnxtr · 1 November 2006
Jeff: You owe me an Advil. Reading that blog gave me a headache. If ever more proof was needed that ID is just religious apologetics, that would be it.
whheydt · 1 November 2006
The usual reason for not presenting a defense is that you think the other side has put forth so poor a case that no defense is needed--and you ask the court to dismiss the charges on the grounds that the prosecution hasn't made their case in terms of law (Judges determine law, juries determine facts).
In this case, I suspect that no defense is being presented because the defense doesn't actually *have* a case to present.
Sir_Toejam · 1 November 2006
actually, I always thought the purpose in not presenting a defense was to not attempt to give credibility to a case you most certainly will appeal.
surely Hovind's lawyers (and I'm sure Hovind himself), intend to take this as far up the line as they possibly can.
whether there is grounds for them to do so is, of course, entirely beside the point of whether they will attempt to appeal.
I expect the appeal to get no further than the first level of the appeals system before being rejected.
Neil · 1 November 2006
The only realistic option for a defense is to put the Hovinds on the stand.
If that happeed, they'd get killed on cross examination.
'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank · 1 November 2006
Anton Mates · 1 November 2006
Shalini, BBWAD · 2 November 2006
[Jeff, Dembski's blog, as well nearly anything ID related, is just one large echo chamber. The only acceptable comments are those which agree with their basic premises - if you don't blindly accept these, you will be banned.]
I got banned by the lord of intellectual voids, Little Billy Dembski himself. (That's what the BBWAD's about)
*snicker*
Anonymous · 3 November 2006
NEWS: Both Kent Hovind and his wife Jo were convicted on all counts. Search Google News for "hovind" and you'll find the coverage.
Anonymous · 3 November 2006
NEWS: Both Kent Hovind and his wife Jo were convicted on all counts. Search Google News for "hovind" and you'll find the coverage.
steve s · 3 November 2006
Is jesus supposed to have said anything in his own defense?
Gina Weeks · 17 January 2007
"Render unto Ceasar the things which are Ceasar's and unto God the things which are God's". God doesn't need our money. It is our Christian duty to pay taxes because that is the way we can help others in our nation. We cannot call ourselves obedient to God when we are not obedient to our our govermental officials that God has placed over us/ or rather has allowed to be placed over us.