Judge to Furious Prosecutor: “I don’t work for the I.R.S.”

I’ve mentioned before and in the FAQ why I’m not using any of the many fringe legal theories with which some folks go into battle against the IRS.

But surprisingly, although the government has heard all of this stuff before and although it has power and legal precedent on its side, still the underdog sometimes wins.

Last Friday a jury acquitted a woman who decided about a decade ago that the various laws and regulations that allegedly justify the income tax were a contradictory mess of gobbledygook that she was under no obligation to honor. The IRS disagreed, but didn’t feel any obligation to explain itself. Oops.

Most amusingly, after the jury acquitted her, the prosecuting attorney arrogantly demanded that the judge order the victorious defendant to pay her taxes. The judge’s reply: “Sir, I don’t work for the IRS.”

My instinct still tells me that these sort of arguments are dead-enders, but victories like this will certainly encourage more people to try, and the more people who try the more time and money the poor IRS has to waste arguing with and about them.

In other news: Yes, I’m from California, and I’m happier than I’ve been since all three branches of the federal government were tangled up in Monica’s dress. Something like 150 people are running for governor in what could charitably be called a level playing field, but might otherwise be called a free-for-all. At least some of those candidates are running at the behest of Stuart Vance, who decided that the lax requirements for getting on the ballot constituted a vulnerability ripe for a “denial of service” attack on the ballot itself! Once a few thousand candidates file papers, suddenly the ballot becomes unmanageable and democracy becomes hopelessly impractical. Interesting theory.

That may sound kind of messed up, but remember, this is a race where the frontrunner is The Terminator and it’s entirely possible that the next governor will take office having received less than 10% of the vote.

But the best part, surely, is that we’ll finally be rid of Davis — who has about all of the worst qualities of a politician honed to a razor-sharpness. This humiliation must be especially frustrating to a fellow who has spent his entire career trying to safely advance his power and influence and electability at the expense of ever having a principle worth defending. Ha! A lot of good it did you!