The Verdict: Audit Commentary

After a long hiatus, The Verdict has aired another segment on the Conrad Black trial. The two guests of the host, Paula Todd, were on to discuss the testimony of all three audit committee members, including former Governor James R. Thompson. Perhaps trial coveraged is scheduled by using the crowededness of the spectator's chairs as a metric, because it was mentioned on the show that the spectators' area was filling up. The last two weeks were, according to Hugh Totten, rather dry.

He was one of the guests; Steve Skurka was the other. Csr. Totten started the commentary off by noting that Mr. Thompson is quite a famous personage in Illinois for his crime-busting crusades when a prosecuting attorney, but the younger members of the jury won't remember that, so his past as a crime-fighter may have little influence on his present credibility as a witness. The younger jurors would be likely to remember his service on the 9/11 Commission only.

When asked by Ms. Todd if the testimony of Marie-Josée Kravis hurt Mr. Black's chances, Csr. Skurka replied that Mrs. Kravis' testimony had been a "disaster" for the prosecution. The best line for the defense, he added after a prompting from Ms. Todd, is to claim that the Audit Committee saw the disclosures but are covering up because they're embarrassed or fearful of litigative action directed against them.

Then, an analogy of a jewel theft while the security guard was asleep was introduced by Ms. Todd and accepted by Csr. Totten, who also noted that the witnesses' testimony that Conrad Black was not asleep at the switch was credible. Csr. Skurka, though, noted that disclosure and hiring sharp-eyed professionals is inconsistent with the MO of fraudsters; they conceal. He also noted that the other two had fallen into the assumption that Conrad Black had a case to prove in the trial; the entire defense team doesn't have to, because the burden of proof is on the prosecutors.

This episode of The Verdict should be available in broadband as of 11:30 PM or so, until it is replaced by the next one.