Media Roundup: Flashbacks

The media reports on the Conrtad Black trial, webbed overnight and today, have zeroed in on one or both of two highlights: either the testimony about the 13 boxes, or the appraisal of the Manhattan apartment by the prosecution's real-estate expert:

1. WQAD.com has webbed a brief Associated Press summary, highlighting the testimony of that expert, Jonathan Miller. From it: "Miller says regardless whether the apartment was renovated or not, there's no way the three million dollars Black paid for the Park Avenue apartment could be considered fair." A paraphrase of it has been webbed by Channel 4 News in the U.K.

2. The Edmonton Journal has webbed a Canadian Press report which says that the prosecution expected to finish yesterday, but the testimony of Mr. Miller went on for longer than anticipated. (This wasn't just because of the cross-examination.)

3. The report by Ameet Sachdev of the Chicago Tribune begins with: "A New York real estate appraiser testified Tuesday in the federal fraud trial of Conrad Black that the Manhattan apartment bought by the former media baron in 2000 had a market value nearly three times the $3 million he paid the newspaper company for it." It further relates that Mr. Miller refused to back down under cross-examination, especially regarding credit for the $4.3 million Mr. Black had spent on the apartment, but he "conceded... that since Black was the only person in the market shopping for the apartment, that detail would have influenced his appraisal." It ends with a brief wrap-up of the testimony of Mr. Mahmood relating to the 13 boxes.

4. Andrew Clark of the Guardian has focused in on yesterday's testimony about the removal of the 13 boxes.

5. Mary Vallis' report, as webbed by the Ottawa Citizen, also focuses upon the testimony of Shahab Mahmood and Monique Delorme about the removal of the 13 boxes. It's entitled "Jurors watch video of Black putting Hollinger boxes in car."

6. Another Canadian Press report that was webbed by the Edmonton Journal has a summary of Mr. Miller's testimony yesterday.

7. The Vancouver Province has webbed an abridged Bloomberg report about what Mr. Miller had to say to the court. "Jonathan Miller, a Manhattan appraiser certified as an expert by Judge Amy St. Eve, told a jury yesterday Black should have paid Hollinger at least $5.2 million in 2000 for the three-bedroom Park Avenue apartment, which took up an entire floor. Black paid $3 million... Apartments of that size for that price 'simply don't exist,' said Miller." It also ends with a brief recap of the testimony of Mr. Mahmood.

8. The New York Post gave Reuters the same treatment. Its excerpt focuses in on Mr. Mahmood's testimony as well.

9. Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star begins his report by noting that Judge St. Eve has allowed for two more witnesses - "one is an Internal Revenue Service agent, the other works for the FBI – before the defence opens its case." Both witnesses are expected to be finished today. The rest of it highlights the entirety of yesterday's testimony.

10. Mary Wisniewski's report, webbed by the Chicago Sun-Times, starts off with this memorable opener: " Conrad Black, known for his luxurious lifestyle, was shown on a security video at his fraud trial Tuesday engaged in a working-class activity -- hauling boxes." The rest of it deals with the testimony about those boxes.

11. A report by Paul Waldie, webbed by the Globe and Mail, begins with the note that Maclean's editor Ken Whyte is slated to testify for the defense. Mr. Whyte was the founding editor of the National Post. According to Mr. Waldie, Mr. Whyte "will likely testify about Lord Black's involvement in the Post. That could help back up a key defence theory that Lord Black and his former partner, David Radler, had different roles at Hollinger. " The rest of his report excerpts the contents of some E-mails introduced into evidence yesterday. (Presumably, they came from those boxes.)

12. A second report by Mr. Waldie, also webbed by the Globe, begins by noting that the defense should start presenting their case tomorrow. Today, the prosecution will introduce "a stack of documents, including expenses from high-end retailers, such as Fendi, for items allegedly bought by Lord Black's wife, Barbara Amiel Black, but paid for by Hollinger." The rest of the report recaps yesterday's testimony, and it ends with: "Edward Genson, Lord Black's lawyer, pointed out during cross-examination that Lord Black covered the cost of renovations and spent more than $4-million in total on the place. He also said that under an agreement Hollinger had with Lord Black, he was the only potential buyer of the apartment. Mr. Genson said Mr. Miller did not factor that into his calculations, which were done for prosecutors."

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In his continuing watch for appeals to class bias by the prosecution, Mark Steyn implies that showing a sense of humour in the executive suite nowadays may cost you dearly later.