American Tax Officer

The narrative had gradually become clearer by this point.

That is to say, during the production of [Shadow Terminator], the producer had used cash to transact with the crew members.
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In an era with less stringent regulations and legal systems, especially within the film industry, this was essentially considered an open secret, and it quite likely involved money laundering and tax evasion!

What was somewhat unbelievable to everyone was,

How could David dare to investigate matters dating back to 1992, 20 years ago?

Even if the allegations were true, wouldn't the evidence be too dated to secure a conviction?

And surely, the testimony of this one witness alone certainly wouldn't be sufficient!

"So you are saying the funds paid to you as salary and bonuses did not go through the Internal Revenue Service's tax system?"

Just this piece of testimony was not enough to charge Ms. Julie with tax evasion, so Nicola continued her questioning on the stand.

"No, Your Honor, [Shadow Terminator] was, after all, a movie intended for theatrical release, how could it have evaded scrutiny? To my knowledge, that sum of money indeed went through taxation, but it did not align with our declared tax records, it seems we paid less than we should have!"

With these words from Temple, the courtroom was once again abuzz.

If what Charles claimed was true, it meant that Julie might indeed be guilty of tax evasion.

"Your Honor, I object!"

Kerry couldn't sit still any longer, standing up to retort: "In our tax records, you can see that the taxation details for [Shadow Terminator] are very explicit. I do not understand where Mr. Temple's claim of an underpayment comes from. Is it based solely on your word?"

"Furthermore, given the passage of time, can you assure us that your recollection contains no inaccuracies? Perhaps you're just seeking fame or for some reason trying to unjustly accuse my client!"

Kerry's argument seemed well-founded; indeed, there were recorded tax records for the film [Shadow Terminator].

If it was recorded, that proved Julie indeed paid taxes.

But as for Temple's claim of underpaying, what was your source?

Or are we just supposed to take your word for it?

"Your Honor, I am not making baseless accusations. You can look at my tax records. For [Shadow Terminator], the wages and bonuses I personally received amounted to 6,000 US dollars, and based on the tax rate, about 600 US dollars in taxes should be paid. However, if you check, you'll see only 300 US dollars on my records. Where did the other 300 US dollars go?"

Temple took a stand once again to defend himself.

Kerry, seizing upon a crucial point, suddenly pressed: "Wait a moment Mr. Temple, are you saying you received a total of 6,000 US dollars in wages and bonuses but only paid 300 US dollars in taxes? Are you admitting that you evaded 300 US dollars in taxes?"

"That... is indeed tax evasion, but it has nothing to do with me..."

Before Temple could continue, Kerry immediately interrupted. "Your Honor, you see Mr. Temple himself admits to tax evasion; this proves he is a tax evader. Shouldn't you sentence him first? And can the testimony of a confessed tax evader be considered credible?"

It has to be said.

As one of America's top lawyers, Kerry had his fair share of skills, especially in deflecting the topic at hand.

He instantly managed to slap a criminal label on Temple, who was originally just a witness.

This tactic provided a legal basis to challenge the credibility of the opposing witness's testimony.

Kerry's words seemed to have stunned Temple, who was, after all, just an ordinary individual unable to withstand the pressure of a top lawyer's aggressive strategy in such a high-profile court.

Nicola on the stand was similarly affected, because Kerry's challenge was logically sound. She couldn't publicly dismiss it without good reason and had no choice but to turn her attention to Director David.

However, Director David was far from flustered; well-prepared, he responded calmly: "Your Honor, even if Mr. Temple has evaded taxes, that doesn't automatically discredit his testimony. Just like in certain criminal cases, when a felon becomes an informant, does it mean their statements can't be trusted?"

At this, Nicola seemed to have an epiphany, realizing that Director David's argument was legally solid. She immediately turned to Lawyer Kerry and said, "Lawyer Kerry, Director David has a point. Even if Mr. Temple is involved in tax evasion, that's a matter between him and our Internal Revenue Service, and it is unrelated to the current case against Ms. Julie.

His coming forward could indeed be considered an act of an informant!"

Kerry's expression darkened slightly before he countered: "Your Honor, I must reiterate, two decades have passed since then, and the time is long past. Solely relying on the testimony of this witness is entirely unconvincing unless he has concrete evidence!"

Kerry's argument was not entirely unreasonable.

For a tax evasion case nearly twenty years old, convicting someone based solely on one witness's word certainly wouldn't convince the public.

Who can know if the witness misremembered?

And who can prove the witness remembered correctly?

This rebuttal from Kerry also garnered support from many influential individuals present. It was absurd to convict an international superstar based solely on the testimony of one witness!