The Verdict: Excerpt From Roundtable

Tonight's episode of The Verdict had a brief sounding-out on the Conrad Black trial as part of a "legal roundtable" featuring Clayton Ruby, James Morton and Crown attorney Paul McDermott. Each guest had one comment on the trial.

Csr. Morton thinks that Conrad Black won’t be convicted, nor will the other three. The prosecution hasn’t done enough to meet their onus. If there will be any conviction, it will be on the obstruction of justice charge. Csr. McDermott mentioned the U.S. Attorney's 96% conviction rate, but he also noted that this case may not be typical; the outcome will depend on the facts of the case. Csr. Ruby said that the defense presented the better case, prior to closing arguments; the prosecution has saved their emphasis for the closing argument. Juries in America tend to be sympathetic to the prosecution, though, so the defense may not be as successful as some think.