Digest

'Ocean's' steals top slot with $37.1-million

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 11, 2007

Audiences anted up for the Warner Bros. caper Ocean's Thirteen, the third of George Clooney and Brad Pitt's casino-heist romps, which debuted as the top flick with $37.1-million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the No. 1 movie the previous two weekends, sank to second-place with $21.3-million, raising its domestic total to $253.6-million. The rest of the top five: Knocked Up, $20-million, Surf's Up, $18-million; and Shrek the Third, $15.75-million.

Snipes says race behind indictment

Actor Wesley Snipes is a victim of "unscrupulous tax advice" and is being selectively targeted for prosecution on federal tax evasion charges because he is black, his attorneys argue in a motion to dismiss the indictment. Snipes' attorneys argue that prosecutors filed additional tax evasion charges against him and not against two other defendants because they are "Caucasian, while Mr. Snipes is African-American." A federal judge is still considering the motions. The Oct. 17 indictment charges Snipes with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling nearly $12-million in 1996 and 1997 for income taxes already paid. The firm American Rights Litigators would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients, according to the indictment.

[Last modified June 11, 2007, 00:46:23]