Lord Black lost his appeal today to stay out of jail until the ruling is handed down on the appeal to his fraud conviction. He'll begin serving his 6.5 year sentence this Monday, I believe.
Report On Business has the story:
Lord Black, 62, convicted of defrauding the shareholders of his Hollinger International Inc. newspaper empire, had sought to delay the start of his 61/2-year sentence for defrauding shareholders in his Hollinger International Inc. newspaper empire.
His lawyers argued there was a good chance of winning on appeal.
While the appeals judges left open the possibility that they might overturn some counts, they said there was less chance of reversing the one count on which Lord Black was the only defendant convicted — obstruction of justice.
Jurors were shown a video of Lord Black himself carrying boxes of documents out of his Toronto office although they were not supposed to be removed because investigators believed that they might constitute evidence.
The appeals court noted Lord Black was sentenced to 78 months on that count alone — “substantially longer than the normal course of an appeal.”
Thus there was no danger Lord Black would serve time in prison only to be told by the appeals court that all of his convictions were reversed, the appeals judges said.
The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals did allow Lord Black's two co-defendants, Peter Atkinson and John Boultbee, to remain free on bond while appealing their sentences. They were not charged with obstruction.
It ain't easy being a Lord in America. He's looking older nowadays as per the picture in the article. I would never call the man "beaten" but he certainly seems a little more resigned than he did a few months ago. I empathize with the man. He had very good reasons for thinking his appeal would be granted. His inability to catch a break must be getting a little much for the 62 year-old.
Labels: Conrad Black, Hollinger, Lord Black, US Legal System, Court, Fraud, Obstruction of Justice
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