The Verdict: What Jail, If Any?

The opening segment of tonight's episode of The Verdict was about what kind of jail Conrad Black would end up in if convicted. The guests were Douglas McNabb and Richard Kurland.

Csr. McNabb started off by saying that it was most likely that Conrad Black, if convicted, would be sent to a "low security" prison under the purview of the Bureau of Prisons, but not minimum security due to him not being a citizen of the United States. Had Conrad been, a sentence of less than ten years' length could have put him into minimum.

Csr. Kurland added that Conrad has no citizenship rights in Canada because he renounced his citizenship. The Minister of Immigration would have to intervene on compassionate grounds – fill out a “compassion card” - for Conrad to be let in. The pending citizenship application for Conrad Black has probably been frozen until the verdict is delivered, as this is the normal procedure followed by the Immigration ministry.

Csr. McNabb then described what a low security prison is like: there are bars on doors, and there's barbed wire around the prison. Conrad may be by himself or have one to two roommates. He might be able to get paid work, at a rate of one to two dollars a day. Csr. McNabb added that, to avoid jail pending an appeal, Conrad must convince a district court judge that his appeal will probably be successful. If he can’t, then he will go to jail until the appeal is heard (and, of course, stay there if it's denied.)

Csr. Kurland ended the discussion by pointing out that the U.K. may have a jurisdiction in this matter, which Ms. Todd said will be discussed in a future episode.

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At the end of the episode, when discussing the clemency granted to "Scooter" Libby by President Bush today, Ms. Todd noted that the criticisms of Patrick J. Fitzgerald by the defenders of Mr. Libby are substantially the same as those made by Conrad Black supporters. She ended her "Closing Argument" editorial by noting, in the form of a rhetorical question, that Conrad Black's fate may depend upon how well he knows President Bush.