White Collar Crime
Jury Deadlocked in Conrad Black Case
Posted Jul 10, 2007, 04:42 pm CST
By Martha Neil
After nine days of deliberation and a three-month trial, a Chicago jury in the Conrad Black case told the judge today that it's deadlocked.
In a note sent to the judge in the federal case, and subsequently read in court, the jury said it can't reach a unanimous verdict on any of the counts in the racketeering and fraud trial, reports the Associated Press. However, the judge reinstructed the jury, telling it to get back to work and try to reach a verdict on all counts.
Black, 62, a member of the British House of Lords, is accused along with three other defendants of having swindled the Hollinger International Inc. newspaper company of $60 million. Black chaired the company's board of directors—and served as Hollinger's CEO—until he was forced out by the accusations of wrongdoing. If convicted, he would face a lengthy prison term. The other three defendants also were Hollinger corporate officials.
Bloomberg (Jury Resumes Work After Deadlock).