Toronto Life: The Trial of Conrad Black

The Trial of Conrad Black Toronto Life

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January 2008 Archive

Prisoner #18330-424

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Douglas Bell

As of 9:16 p.m. on January 30, 2008, Conrad M. Black’s name and prison number were available for public scrutiny on the Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site. Oddly, none of Peter Atkinson, Jack Boultbee and David Radler joined him in this regard. It may mean nothing, or it may mean Crossharbour ought to think about packing a toothbrush come March 3.

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David Frum’s laughable defence

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Predictably, the U.S. government renounced Conrad Black’s arguments in favour of his remaining free on bail pending appeal. As reported in a CP wire story, prosecutor Edward Siskel was particularly contemptuous of Black’s contention that evidence presented at trial “was insufficient to support his corrupt intent for the obstruction of justice conviction.” Retorted Siskel:

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Lines Written on the Imprisonment of Lord Black

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Douglas Bell

In the interregnum between Lord Black’s plea to remain free on bail and the government’s response, I thought I might share the following. Last month the British magazine Private Eye published a truly egregious piece of poetry titled “Lines Written on the Imprisonment of Lord Black of Crossharbour.” The poem is attributed to one William Rees-McGonagall—a fake moniker that humorously combines the names of one of Black’s more supportive interlocutors, Baron Rees-Mogg of Hinton Blewitt, and William McGonagall, whose tortured verses caused him to be considered among the worst poets in the English language. The poem is very much offered in that spirit:

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Fewer and farther between

Posted on January 28, 2008 by Douglas Bell

A selection of random trailings from late last week. A Bloomberg wire service story reported that:

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More’s the Pity

Posted on January 24, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Several stories appeared yesterday recording Black’s submission to St. Eve to continue his bail pending appeal. Failing that, they’ve asked that his bail be extended through to June 15th, by which time oral arguments will have been heard before the appellate court.

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A new bio for Black

Posted on January 21, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Not that it matters one iota, but at least one of Black’s allies in this great enterprise has soured on his continuing protestations of innocence and his ongoing predictions of forthcoming vindication. For the longest time, the National Post (which continues to retain Black as a columnist) ran as part of Black’s bio something indicating that once he’d put paid to these scurrilous charges, Lord Black would resume his financial career. Lately, that promise has vanished. Here, then, for the record, is his latest CV as published on the National Post Web site:

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Let the appeal shenanigans begin

Posted on January 17, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Let me see if I’ve got this straight: Black’s appeals lawyer, Andrew Frey, is quoted in the Post this morning suggesting that the strongest element of his client’s appeal (and hence the strongest reason for Amy St. Eve to grant him bail pending that appeal) is the vulnerability of the obstruction charge:

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“Most over-lawyered proceedings in recent history”

Posted on January 16, 2008 by Douglas Bell

News from Chicago this morning: the prosecution’s lead attorney, Eric Sussman, is seeking greener pastures in the private sector. The same Trib article also mentions Hugh Totten, who commented wittily and non-stop in the press throughout the Black trial from his post as a commercial litigator at the Chicago firm Perkins Coie. He is now starting, along with a couple of other partners from big league firms, the Valorem Law Group. They aim to compete with the majors primarily on price. I asked Totten whether his experience following the Black trial influenced his decision. Continue...


Black’s goal (or last hope): A presidential pardon

Posted on January 14, 2008 by Douglas Bell

In a screed orotund even by his standards, Conrad Black ripped the American punditocracy a new one for its failing to make sense of the recent primary doings out New England way:

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Culling the herd at the Chicago Sun-Times

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Two stories hit the papers today that reflect the wide-ranging, ongoing fallout from the Hollinger mess. Peter Atkinson’s plea to remain free on bail during the course of his appeal turns in part on St. Eve’s infamous “ostrich” instruction. According to the Post, WorldCom fraudster Bernie Ebbers used a similar argument and managed to stay out of prison while his appeal wended its way through the courts.

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Things I saw that left my jaw swinging: Part 4

Posted on January 10, 2008 by Douglas Bell

One last bit of business is left over from last week’s roundup of year-enders: I recall a July moment when Eddie Greenspan, who would take questions from a pudding cup if it turned up with a microphone, demonstrated a flair for hypocrisy unmatched by his fellow officers of the court. Eddie sent an e-mail to Toronto Life denouncing Mark Steyn as a liar and all-around scoundrel for suggesting that the Eddies had sought to extract an extra million each from Lord Black within days of the summary argument. The following morning, Greenspan confronted me and denounced me in front of a crowd for having the temerity to publish said missive on this blog “without my permission.” Asked about the entire matter some weeks later, a senior member of the defence bar in Toronto took a sardonic expression before responding, “Maybe he didn’t ask for a million.”

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Bungle and delay: The OSC doesn’t strike again

Posted on January 9, 2008 by Douglas Bell

As I reported in Monday’s post, the Ontario Securities Commission’s effort at holding the Hollinger Four to account for their various financial transgressions was meant to be up and running Tuesday afternoon (and by “up and running” I mean, of course, a hearing to hammer out a schedule aimed at holding The Four accountable, etc., etc.). Yesterday morning, a press release arrived from the OSC announcing that the hearing has been further delayed until March 28: Continue...


If you want objectivity, go read the Globe

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Douglas Bell

When I started this blog back in March of last year, it was decided that, beyond my opening gambit, I would more or less restrain myself from entering into debate with the scores of contributors whose work defines and sustains the Trial of Conrad Black. I’ve only entered the discussion a couple of times, mostly to set the record straight if an otherwise intelligent thread was threatened by egregious errors of fact—mine or another’s.

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Things I saw that left my jaw swinging: Part 3

Posted on January 4, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Among the milestones in the trial of Conrad Black, this one has about it an air of finality. The Globe and Mail reported this morning that Conrad Black has a prison registration number: 18330-424. He joins, among others, fellow corporate cons Jeffrey Skilling (25296-179), Bernie Ebbers (56022-054) and Andrew Fastow (14343-179) in adding the honour to his CV. This latest designation was revealed in light of what might, depending on your point of view, be the sweetest or bitterest irony of Black’s imbroglio to date:

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Things I saw that left my jaw swinging: Part 2

Posted on January 3, 2008 by Douglas Bell

Besides Times man James Bone, the most theatrical character on offer during the Black trial was Tom Bower. He is a naturally gregarious—though somewhat laconic, even aristocratic—presence. Looking back, it seemed as though he was perpetually holding court, surrounded by journos made curious by both his trashy money-spinning biography of the Blacks and the concomitant possibility that should Black walk free, Bower himself would be subject to the mother of all lawsuits.

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