Wednesday, March 13
'Everything is great'
The first day of jury selection at Conrad Black's trial ends with the former media tycoon sounding upbeat. Jury selection would end the next day. A total of 20 jurors, including eight alternates, were chosen.

Monday, March 19
Slut! Vermin!
With the start of her husband's trial delayed, Barbara Amiel Black lashed out at the media. Judge Amy St. Eve delayed proceedings to find out if jurors had heard about settlement agreements made by David Radler, a longtime Black business partner and key prosecution witness.

Tuesday, March 20
Conrad: Robber or victim?
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Cramer told the jury in the prosecution's opening remarks: "Bank robbers use masks and carry guns. These four dressed in ties and wore suits." Chicago-based defence lawyer Edward Genson begged to differ: "He was not stealing from the company, the company was stolen from him."

Monday, March 26
'It just didn't seem like the right thing to do'
Mike Reed, the former CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., testified about two non-compete agreements between his company and Hollinger International from two deals in 1999 and 2000. He said the non-competes for Hollinger Inc. and for Conrad Black, David Radler, Peter Atkinson and Jack Boultbee were added after the initial agreement and before the closing of the deal by lawyer Mark Kipnis. In the first deal, the fee was paid to Hollinger International and Hollinger Inc. Reed said he balked at paying money directly to individuals in the second one.

Tuesday, April 10
Geriatric freaks
The trial heard some amusing evidence about Conrad Black's US$600,000 trip to Bora Bora with his wife. "We just got back yesterday from a shambles of a trip to the South Pacific, where I came down with bronchitis and almost drowned snorkeling as a result,'' an email said. "We felt like geriatric freaks among a sea of honeymooners -- loutish young men and their perky wives.''

Tuesday, April 17
Second opinion
A lawyer for defendant Peter Atkinson suggested that his client's seeking of an outside legal opinion on whether non-compete fees should be disclosed showed his client was trying to abide by securities laws.

Friday, April 27
Try a little humbleness
Marie-Josee Kravis, a Hollinger International director and audit committee member until 2003, testified she advised Conrad Black to be more humble in his dealings with shareholders. While she claimed to have concerns about non-compete payments, there were documents with her signature on them approving such payments.

Monday, May 7
'My obligation is to tell the truth'
Star prosecution witness David Radler, Black's longtime business partner who had pleaded guilty to fraud in 2005, begins his testimony. Defence lawyers object to testimony where he indicated a personal friendship with Black.

Tuesday, May 8
Finger pointing
David Radler claims Conrad Black came up with the idea to skim non-compete fees. Radler said he agreed with the plan.

Wednesday, May 9
Counterattack
Toronto-based defence lawyer Edward Greenspan began his effort to paint David Radler as a liar out to save his own skin. In his final testimony for the prosecution, Radler had admitted to lying to a special investigation committee in 2003, but did so because he knew the consequences of a truthful answer. Radler also gave a key example of a dubious non-compete: He and Black received a US$2.6-million non-compete fee from American Publishing Inc. from the sale of a Hollinger International newspaper in Mammoth, Calif. Black and Radler sat on American Publishing's board.

Monday, May 14
Sweetheart deal
Some courtroom observers think David Radler damaged his credibility with the jury when Radler suggested he didn't realize he could be out of a Canadian prison in as few as six months of his 29-month sentence.

Thursday, May 17
No jury would convict
Conrad Black had this to say about David Radler's testimony: "I don't think he has any credibility. I don't think any jury in the world would convict anybody on the basis of what he said. I repeat my long-standing view that this was never a criminal case -- except possibly against him.''

Wednesday, May 30
The prosecution rests
The prosecution finished presenting its case and dropped one money-laundering charge against Black. The jury hears some last evidence about Black removing boxes from 10 Toronto St. in Toronto, the former corporate headquarters of Hollinger despite a court order not to do so.

Monday, June 4
No second shot at Radler
The defence wanted to bring David Radler back, saying they had learned he had consulted a parole lawyer before his plea deal with prosecutors. That would show he was likely lying when testifying. Judge Amy St. Eve rejected the request, saying the defence essentially had their chance.

Monday, June 11
'A business event masquerading as a social event'
John O'Sullivan, a journalist and long-time Black friend, testified that he thought the infamous 60th birthday party for Barbara Amiel Black was a business event. The party at New York's Le Grenouille restaurant cost more than US$60,000.

Tuesday, June 12
Thanks but no thanks
Conrad Black, Peter Atkinson, Jack Boultbee and Mark Kipnis all decline to testify in their own defence.

Monday, June 18
'It was stealing, plain and simple'
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Ruder delivers a seven-hour closing argument to the jury. "We are not here because somebody made a mistake," she told them. "We are here because five men systematically stole over US$60 million from the shareholders of Hollinger International." Ruder noted the Mammoth, Calif. deal, saying: "Conrad Black was paying himself not to compete with himself. It's ridiculous."

Tuesday, June 19
'In America, you don't convict someone for being rich'
Defence lawyers Edward Greenspan and Edward Genson make their closing arguments. They again attack the credibility of David Radler and point to the absence of any "smoking gun" evidence supporting Radler's allegations against their client. They urged the jury to ignore prosecution evidence about their client's lifestyle.

Tuesday, June 26
Radler? He's a nobody
After the defence teams got to make their closing arguments, lead prosecutor Eric Sussman got to address the jury one final time. He told them they didn't need to believe one word that star prosecution witness David Radler said in order to find all defendants guilty.

Wednesday, June 28
Let the deliberating begin
Judge Amy St. Eve gives her instructions to the jury before they begin deliberations. One troublesome part for Conrad Black is how she denied the "ostrich defence." She told the jury the following: "If you find the defendant had a strong suspicion that criminal conduct was occurring, yet shut his eyes for fear of what he might learn, you can conclude he acted knowingly, and acting knowingly is a crime."

Friday July 13
The Verdict 
Conrad Black is found guilty on four of 13 counts in his fraud and racketeering trial, including the serious charge of obstruction of justice. Co-defendants are each found guilty of three counts of mail fraud.