Free Conrad Black

The United States Supreme Court has set aside Lord Black’s convictions for three counts of fraud based on the overreaching parameters of the law of honest services fraud. I say hurrah!

The Court has struck down the law on honest services fraud and has sent the case back to the trial judge for a reconsideration based on the USSC’s interpretation of the law. The only conviction that remains is the finding of guilt for obstruction of justice. This charge related to Black’s removal of several boxes of legal files and documents from his office, a video camera recording his actions as he stacked the boxes into a waiting vehicle.

So what’s next? I agree that there is merit to the position that the trial judge’s directions to the jury on the alleged fraud tainted and influenced the jury to convict for the removal of the documents. It is entirely possible Black’s remaining conviction will also be vacated.

In the meantime, he will apply for bail and by all rights should be released from prison pending the trial court’s review of the new law from the US Supreme Court.

I only hope that with Lord Black’s release from prison he continues to write about the politics and culture of the day. He is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend his book on Richard Nixon: A Life in Full.

** For my previous post on Conrad Black see May 13, 2010.