MIDDAY UPDATE

In morning testimony, Terry Lancaster, the Jinwrights’ tax preparer from 2001 to 2006, said the couple did not always tell him the extent of their taxable income.

In 2001 and 2002, he said, the Jinwrights had him prepare their returns then went to a different preparer, without his knowledge, to file amended returns.

For tax year 2001, Lancaster said, they used an amended return to request an $80,612 refund. In 2002, he said, they used a second amended return to request a $70,816 refund. It was unclear from today's testimony whether the Jinwrights actually received the requested refunds.

Lancaster's testimony will resume after lunch.

Jurors were given a longer-than-normal lunch break today after an alternate juror – the last alternate juror – slipped a note to Judge Frank Whitney saying she is ill.

On Tuesday, Whitney let jurors go home early after the same juror reported feeling tired.

The juror has said she wants to remain on the panel, now in its third calendar week.

Two other alternate jurors were dismissed earlier -- one on a hardship request and another after a witness told prosecutors that she had once worked with the juror.

Today, Whitney asked the sick juror whether she felt she could resume after lunch.

The woman said she would try.

Whitney directed his staff to prepare a chambers used by visiting judges so that the juror could rest on a couch for nearly two hours during lunch.

“I really appreciate you sticking it out as long as possible,” he told the woman.

Click here to read coverage from previous days.
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Editor's Note: Our next update will be filed after court adjourns for the day.

MORNING UPDATE

Jurors in the Jinwright tax-evasion trial are expected this morning to hear from Terry Lancaster, the couple’s longtime tax preparer.

Lancaster, who operates his own business, took the stand briefly Tuesday afternoon before court was adjourned for the day. During about 20 minutes of testimony he said that pastors Anthony and Harriet Jinwright did not always tell him about the full extent of their income, noting specifically auto allowances, payments for retirement and vacation pay.

ISSUES TO WATCH:
--Government prosecutors said earlier this week that they would wrap up their case against the Jinwrights today.

--Kevin Tate, the lead attorney representing Harriet Jinwright, indicated Tuesday that he might recall Nelson Adesegha, the former finance administrator at Greater Salem City of God. Adesegha testified Tuesday that the church’s finances were “a mess” when he was hired in 2004. He said he took steps to bring income in line with expenses – he cancelled the Jinwright’s church-issued credit cards – and was later fired without explanation.

AN INTERESTING ASIDE:
What does the erupting volcano in Iceland have to do with the Jinwright trial? Apparently, plenty. After announcing that court would be in recess Monday so that he could attend a military court martial in Georgia, Judge Frank Whitney said Tuesday that testimony would go on Monday after all. It seems the volcano has so snarled air travel in Europe that flights carrying military personnel from Germany were cancelled. New reports now indicate that flights out of Europe are slowly resuming. Does that mean the court marital is back on? We’ll keep you posted.

Click here to read coverage from previous days.

Editor's note: Our next update will be filed after the court breaks for lunch.
 

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