PROVIDENCE -- Jury selection for Survivor star Richard Hatch's federal tax evasion case has been so painstaking that the process will continue into this morning, nearly two days after it began.
But Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres said that the selection of 6 alternate jurors -- the 12 regular jurors were chosen yesterday -- would probably wrap up this morning. The trial will begin soon afterward, he said.
"I don't do this in every case, but I conducted an individual examination of each juror because of the publicity surrounding the case," Torres told a pool of 28 jurors just before the lawyers began exercising their rights to choose, without any explanation, which jurors they wanted to remove from the pool.
When there were 12 left, Torres announced, "All right, ladies and gentlemen, you are the final jury."
Then it was right back to interviewing more jurors -- for selection of alternates -- and questioning them one by one on their attitudes toward Hatch, taxes and the Internal Revenue Service. Hatch, of Newport, is accused of not paying taxes on the $1 million jackpot he collected on Survivor in 2000.
Michael Minns, Hatch's lead lawyer, made remarks to Torres indicating that his client would not seek to defend his tax returns. The issue, he said, is his client's "willfulness" in submitting the returns.
Minns suggested that he would seek to introduce evidence of Hatch's arrest in 2000, upon returning from filming Survivor, for allegedly abusing his 9-year-old son by pulling on his ear and neck while on an early morning jog. The Division of Children, Youth and Families placed the boy in foster care. The abuse charge was eventually dropped and the boy returned to Hatch.
"I just want to let the jurors know what was going on in Richard Hatch's mind at that time," Minns said. "His state of mind is going to be the controversy."
Minns, despite an objection by Asst. U.S. Attorney Lee Vilker, said he also wanted to cite, in his opening remarks, amended tax returns Hatch has filed. Torres said he wouldn't prohibit Minns from mentioning the revised returns, but cautioned the lawyer that he had yet to render a decision on whether the amended returns would be permitted as evidence.
Hatch, who is openly gay, became infamous for competing in the nude on the tropical island of Borneo during the prime time show's first season.
Hatch was charged a year ago, but walked away from a plea agreement on two counts of federal tax evasion. In September, prosecutors succeeded in bringing additional charges against Hatch when a grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against him.
In addition to the $1 million Survivor jackpot, Hatch allegedly did not pay taxes on a car he won on the show and $326,000 he received for co-hosting a Boston talk show. Hatch accepted donations to a charity he purportedly founded -- an outdoor adventure program for teens -- but allegedly spent the contributions on personal expenses without paying taxes on the money.
The grand jury indicted him on charges of tax evasion, filing false income-tax returns, and bank, wire and mail fraud. The most serious charge carries a maximum 30-year prison sentence and a $1-million fine.
Torres said that he expected to give directions to the jurors and begin opening arguments this morning. The first witnesses, he said, would probably be called in the afternoon.
rsalit@projo.com / (401) 277-7467
ARTICLE TOOLS: 
