Neil McKenty Weblog

Today in Chicago the jury in the Conrad Black criminal trial began its second day of deliberations. Legal commentators, lawyers and others are taking bets on how long the jury will be out and whether Black will walk.     Unlike my wife, Catharine, who thinks the predominantly female jury will convict Black, I think he will walk.  True, even the defense concedes, the newspaper tycoon is arrogant, greedy, flaunts his conspicuous consumption and has contempt for the shareholders of his own companies but none of these is a crime.   The fact is the high priced prosecution team had to convict Black beyond a reasonable doubt of all or one of mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and racketeering. In my view the prosecution failed on all counts.