No. 20-833

William Todd Coontz v. United States

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2020-12-21
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: criminal-procedure criminal-tax-prosecution expert-testimony expert-witness-exclusion foundation sentencing-guidelines state-of-mind tax-knowledge tax-prosecution willfulness willfulness-standard witness-testimony
Key Terms:
JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2021-02-19
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Was it reversable error for the trial court to exclude the Petitioner's/Coontz's key witness — the CPA expert — from testifying in a criminal tax prosecution on certain accounting and tax issues that related to the key defense in the case — willfulness — yet permit the government's witnesses to testify about the same principals, and allow the same government witnesses to testify about the Defendant's state of mind and alleged tax knowledge with no foundation?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Was it reversable error for the trial court to exclude the Petitioner’s/ Coontz’s key witness — the CPA expert — from testifying in a criminal tax prosecution on certain accounting and tax issues that related to the key defense in the case — willfulness — yet permit the government’s witnesses to testify about the same principals, and allow the same government witnesses to testify about the Defendant’s state of mind and alleged tax knowledge with no foundation? Was it reversable error to submit to the jury a theory of false personal tax returns based on alleged personal expenditures by the company where there was no evidence the expenditures were personal and not business? Was it reversible error for the trial court to sentence Mr. Coontz above the Sentencing Guidelines range with no prior notice? ACTIVE 54282591v1

Docket Entries

2021-02-22
Petition DENIED.
2021-01-20
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/19/2021.
2021-01-12
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2020-12-17
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 20, 2021)

Attorneys

United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarActing Solicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarActing Solicitor General, Respondent
William Todd Coontz
David Glenn BargerGreenberg Traurig, Petitioner
David Glenn BargerGreenberg Traurig, Petitioner