ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />STORY: Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday (June 29) to three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns.<br/> <br />Hill, aged 37, a hip hop singer and rapper best known as a former member of the Fugees and for her Grammy-winning 1998 solo album, pleaded guilty to failing to file federal returns between 2005 and 2007, despite earning an income of more than $1.6 million USD primarily from film and recording royalties.<br/> <br />Each count carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 (USD) fine.<br/> <br />Hill said little in court and left without making a statement. Her sentencing date was set for November 27.<br/> <br />Hill's attorney, Nathan Hochman, is hopeful she will receive a just sentence: "We hope that the outcome is a fair outcome based on the facts in this case. We hope that the outcome is the lowest sentence possible which would be a probationary sentence."<br/> <br />Hill was released on $150,000 (USD) bail that U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp said included being allowed to leave the country for music tours and a condition she must undergo mental health counseling. Her lawyer Nathan Hochman said Hill has been in family counseling for the past ten years.<br/> <br />Hill, who has six children, responded to the charges earlier this month in a lengthy statement, saying she had chosen to "defer" payments during a period of withdrawal from society to protect her family's safety.<br/> <br />She gave few specifics in the statement, in which she railed against manipulation by "a media-protected military industrial complex", the commercialization of the music industry and of having her freedom of speech compromised.<br/> <br />Hill has not released an album since 2001 and has made only sporadic public appearances in the past six years. But for little more than a year she has stepped up appearances with a series of live performances at smaller venues and festivals. Her next concert is scheduled for July 4th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
