Media Roundup: Exit Stage Greenspan

Overnight's, or today's, media reports on what the defense hoped would become the David Radler trial are still numerous but fading:

1. The New Zealand Herald has webbed the Reuters report, which starts off with: "Conrad Black's lawyer today accused the star prosecution witness against the former media baron of being a habitual liar out to save himself." It then supplies details on Mr. Radler's inconsistency on the stand, exposed by Eddie Greenspan yesterday morning, and then summarizes Mr. Radler's testimony under direct examination before ending with the final moments of Csr. Greenspan's cross.

2. The Montreal Gazette has webbed Mary Vallis' latest, which starts off with those final moments. It also mentions a rebuke from Judge St. Eve aimed at Eric Sussman, who had "complained [twice] to [her] that the defence lawyer was not operating in good faith." After telling him that he had created an improper impression in front of the jury, "Sussman then stormed out of the courtroom."

3. From the Chicago Tribune's James P. Miller, a report that describes Csr. Greenspan's entire cross-examination of Mr. Radler as "remorseless" and yesterday's as proceeding "with an even more truculent tone" than last week's. It mentions all of the major news points from yesterday morning's cross.

4. The latest report by the National Post's Theresa Tedesco starts off by noting that the jury is ignorant of the fact that Judge St. Eve is the same person that will approve or deny Mr. Radler's plea agreement, which she has yet to do. Afterwards, it mentions that Csr. Greenspan did in fact use the p-word in a question directed to Mr. Radler, in his final line of questioning that came close to exposing Judge St. Eve as the "'sentencing judge'" mentioned in the plea bargain.

5. The First Post has webbed a report by Paul Waldie, which describes Mr. Radler as "battered but not broken" at the end of Csr. Greenspan's cross-examination. It mentions that "Greenspan landed one big blow when he noted Radler had no documentation to back up key phone calls he had with Black in 1999 and 2000."

6. Peter Worthington's latest column, webbed by the Edmonton Sun, says explicitly that Mr. Radler had perjured himself. It also mentions the side deal for control between Mr. Radler and David Vogt. Mr. Worthington is one of the few Canadian journalists who can get away with this sentence, describing Conrad Black's reaction when he found out about Vee Holdings: "When Black discovered this three years later, he felt betrayed and sent a querulous and plaintive memo to Radler questioning the ploy."

7. Janet Whitman of the New York Post also focuses upon the final moments of Csr Greenspan's questioning. It quotes Mr. Radler's answer to one of Csr. Greenspan's more-reported-on jibes: "When Greenspan asked whether he had made the 'deal of a lifetime,' Radler responded, 'I don't believe going to prison even for 10 days is a great deal.'"

8. Also from the Post, a report on the missing five chandeliers from the same Manhattan apartment which the prosecution alleges that Conrad Black had bought for below-market value. It's a tid-bit from another legal action that Mr. Black is involved in, as a defendant...

9. A brief report, webbed by the Regina Leader-Post, quotes Mr. Radler as responding to the question of whether or not he knew about the Canadian parole provisions for his sentence with this statement: "'I'll look right in their faces and say that I've heard a lot of rumours but I did not know that,' Radler said, referring to the lenient six months he could spend in a Canadian prison."

10. From the Globe and Mail, another report by Paul Waldie, which starts off with: "Jurors in the Conrad Black trial probably don't know a lot about Canada, but they got a lesson yesterday in our lax sentencing rules and cushy prisons where inmates play golf, tend cattle and roam across acres of farmland." It also mentions that Judge St. Eve had "to intervene twice to restore order."

11. A report, from the Chicago Sun-Times, features Chicago Prediction Markets. According to the report, "[t]he most active market is one on whether former Sun-Times owner Conrad Black would be found guilty in his federal trial. Only 39 percent think Black will walk."

12. From LawFuel.com, a report entitled "Radler's Sweetheart Prison Deal - Conrad Black Fraud Trial - David Radler's Cross Examination."

13. Also from the Globe, and also written by Paul Waldie, the only report that begins by focusing upon the cross-examination of generally-overlooked Gus Newman. Csr. Newman got Judge St. Eve intervening twice as well, but both of them involved him objecting to David Radler's answers. Subsequently, he asked: "'Do you feel that your gratuitous remarks strengthens you position with the people at this table?'... while pointing to prosecutors." The report also mentions that the next prosecution witness is Paul Healy, former investor-relations officer for Hollinger International.

14. The Globe also has a comedy feature that presents Conrad Black as not quite a role model.

15. CTV NewsNet broadcast a report by Joy Malbon, which re-capped Csr. Greenspan's cross-examination. It contained a quote from Csr. Greenspan himself, after he was finished: ""I liked it [the cross-examination] a lot." After relaying that Mr. Radler confirmed he had no documents, it quotes Steve Skurka: "Radler was virtually confessing that he had acted alone" at the end of the cross. [CTV News also has a webbed report, with broadband links to that story and a Canada AM interview with Csr. Skurka.]

16. Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star has written a report that covers all of the highlights, and also contains some description of the spectators' reactions. He concludes that Csr. Greenspan did much better yesterday than last week.

----------

Mark Steyn has an interim-finale kick at Mr. Radler, entitled "As straight as a $3 bill," which begins with a personal anecdote of dropped dealings between he and Mr. Radler that ties in with the title.