Wesley Snipes

[Demosthenes]

Radar Magazine
June/July 2007

Letters to the Editor

Demolition Man

Our firm represents Wesley Snipes. With respect to your article “Demolition Man,” Mr. Snipes has never had any association with the United Nuwaubian group and has always maintained that he is not a tax protester or member of any anti-government movement. The story also paints a picture of Mr. Snipes as being in financial trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are his current finances fine, but he has several projects lined up.

Like any highly intelligent person who reads, studies, and asks questions, Mr. Snipes has asked questions about his tax liability. He has never been given a response by the IRS as to what amount is owed. The fact is that Mr. Snipes has been exploited as a possible tax protester.

Daniel R. Meachum, Esq.
Atlanta, GA

[Dezcad]

Does anyone know anything more about Daniel Meachum, aside from his bio here:

http://www.lejardinatlanta.com/DanielRMeachum.aspx

[webhick]

Mr. Snipes has asked questions about his tax liability. He has never been given a response by the IRS as to what amount is owed.

I find it hard to believe that the IRS won't tell him how much he owed prior to dragging his patootie into court.

Perhaps Mr. Snipes should actually collect and read his own damned mail.

[The Observer]

Mr. Snipes has asked questions about his tax liability. He has never been given a response by the IRS as to what amount is owed.

I find it hard to believe that the IRS won't tell him how much he owed prior to dragging his patootie into court.

Perhaps Mr. Snipes should actually collect and read his own damned mail.

And I am sure the questions that Mr. Snipes asked the IRS about the liability were in regards to the IRS' authority to assess and collect taxes rather than how much he owed.

[LPC]

The story also paints a picture of Mr. Snipes as being in financial trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are his current finances fine, but he has several projects lined up.

I don't think very highly about this kind of public statement.

Mr. Meachum must have had his client's permission to make these statements, because otherwise it would be a breach of client confidentiality.

And I doubt very much that he has audited his client's finances, so his statement about them being "fine" is entirely based on his client's own representations to him.

Which means that what we are reading is nothing more than a press release from Snipes, typed on Meachum's letterhead.

The records on Meachum seem a little peculiar:

1. He's not listed in either Martindale-Hubbell (http://www.lawyers.com) or the FindLaw online listings.

2. The Georgia State Bar show him as licensed to practice in Georgia with a firm "Daniel R. Meachum & Associates."

3. His firm has a web site (http://www.dmeachumlaw.com) with what looks like photographs of smiling young associates and quotes about "our clients," but without any names or other verifiable evidence of any actual associates.

4. There is nothing on his web site, or anywhere else, to suggest he knows anything whatsoever about tax law.

5. His listing with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is under the name "Danny R. Meachum" with an address and telephone number that are different from the ones shown by the Georgia State Bar.

6. Findlaw lists an employment law firm (not a lawyer) in Media, PA, with the name "Daniel R. Meachum" and a single associate, Jeria Bridget Ward. That might be old information, except that I can't find any evidence of any lawyer by that name ever admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.

[Demosthenes]

Looks like his specialty is celebrity law, not tax law. Sounds like Snipes is more worried about his career than he is about going to prison.

10/27/05

Daniel R. Meachum - sitting on top of the world
Category: Profiles, Business Suite, Atlanta
Meachum & Associates,
Attorney-at-Law

Ask attorney Dan Meachum what would be a worthwhile legacy to leave in his wake and he’ll tell you plain and simple, “When [I’m] dead and gone, if people say, ‘Oh yeah, that cat ‘Meach’ was a bad dude.’”

As you might gather, Mr. Meachum is not your average attorney-for-hire. In 25 years, he’s gained experience in just about every facet of the law, from government to corporate, sports to entertainment. And he’s done it the only way he knows how—his way.

From the beginning, he wanted “to be more than just a lawyer, to try to do some grandiose stuff,” Meachum admits. And he has. Whether it was representing Temple University, Concessions International (formerly owned by Herman Russell, Jesse Hill Jr. and Felker Ward), or heavyweights like boxing promoter Butch Lewis, BET founder Bob Johnson, and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, Meachum has always elevated his game accordingly. Today, it amounts to something bigger than even he could’ve imagined.

It’s called LeJardin, a 1,104 acre private development in south Atlanta being financed by African Americans—including one of Meachum’s clients, former baseball player Brian Jordan—that will eventually include 166 homes ranging from $1.5 million to $5 million dollars and 950 homes between $500,000 and $1 million. “That makes it a bigger project than any minority development firm has ever [completed],” says Meachum. It also means real estate law is just one more notch in his belt—which makes his partnership with the nation’s largest mortgage company, Countrywide Home Loans, a perfect fit.

The only thing missing is Meachum’s parents, both of whom had passed away by the time he was a law school graduate. But considering all the big moves Meach has made throughout his career, there’s no doubt they can see him reaching for the sky.

At least his bar record is clean.

[Demosthenes]

From Meachum's website:

He has successfully tried 123 out of 125 major jury trials and arbitrations.

I wonder what he considers a win in his criminal cases?

Case title: USA v. COLLAZO
Magistrate judge case number: 2:99-mj-00269

Jury Verdict as to JAIME LUIS COLLAZO GUILTY: JAIME LUIS COLLAZO count(s) 1, 2, 3, 4-7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

The various counts were for Conspiracy, Bank Robbery, Using a Forearm in a Violent Crime, Money Laundering

CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 2:95-cr-00332-FVA-1
Case title: USA v. KEHS

18:657 CREDIT UNION EMBEZZLEMENT.
(1) IMPRISONMENT 10 MONTHS, SUPERVISED RELEASE OF 5 YRS., RESTITUTION IN THE SUM OF $59,068.00, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT OF $50.00.

CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 2:97-cr-00552-RB-1
Case title: USA v. SLOTCAVAGE, et al

JUDGMENT ROBERT SLOTCAVAGE (1) count(s) 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 22. THE DEFT. IS SENTENCED TO A TERM OF 97 MONTHS IN PRISON. A SUPERVISED RELEASE TERM OF 5 YEARS. NO FINE. A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT OF $300.

The various counts were for possession and distribution of methamphetamines.

Case title: USA v. GOLDEN, et al
Magistrate judge case number: 2:00-mj-00698

JUDGMENT DATED 9/19/01 AS TO KENNETH GOLDEN IMPRISONMENT 48 MONTHS ON COUNTS 1,2,4,5,6,7 AND 8. IMPRISONMENT 60 MONTHS ON COUNT 3 TO RUN CONSECUTIVE, SUPERVISED RELEASE 5 YEARS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT $ 800.00 AND FINE $ 10,000.00.

The various counts were conspiracy, possession and distribution of crack cocaine, and illegal use of a firearm.

CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 2:99-cr-00613-EL-1
Case title: USA v. GOMEZ, et al

JUDGMENT OF 5/3/00 AS TO RAMON GOMEZ (1) count(s) 1, 8. IMPR. 15 MOS., SUPV'D RELEASE 3 YRS., FINE $10,000.00, SPEC. ASSESS. $200.00 (SIGNED BY JUDGE EDMUND V. LUDWIG) 5/5/00 ENTERED.

This was a food stamp fraud case.

[Lambkin]

From Meachum's website:

He has successfully tried 123 out of 125 major jury trials and arbitrations.

I wonder what he considers a win in his criminal cases?

Hey those were minor trials. You can lose as many of those as you want, they don't count. Plus, he crossed his fingers and called "do-over" right away. :-)

[jg]

From Meachum's website:

He has successfully tried 123 out of 125 major jury trials and arbitrations.

I wonder what he considers a win in his criminal cases?

Perhaps Mr. Meachum does not consider those "major". Or, they have not been jury trials.
The "123 of 125 major jury trials..." could be a fact; but it may not be all of the facts.

[The Observer]

He has successfully tried 123 out of 125 major jury trials and arbitrations.

I wonder what he considers a win in his criminal cases?

That probably just means that he only had two trials where his client realized he needed better counsel before jury deliberations began.

[Demosthenes]

And from a four year old article about him:

As a litigator, he has tried over 125 arbitrations and won all but two!

He hasn't done any new cases in four years?

[LAprosecutor]

That COULD be 123 victories out of 125 select cases. He may have handled 200, 300 or more, but he cherry-picked to get the best results.

It's more likely that he is including guilty pleas in which one or more counts were dismissed as part of the pleas within his "victories." If that's the standard, most defense counsel have a very high "win" rate. . . .

[grixit]

Didn't anybody warn Snipes against using one of those Illuminati puppet Esquires?

[Doktor Avalanche]

Didn't anybody warn Snipes against using one of those Illuminati puppet Esquires?

That's entirely a moot point: everyone knows it was Mr. Snipe's "evil twin".