Conrad Black going back to prison

Conrad Black is going back to jail.

Judge Amy St. Eve on Friday sentenced Black to a total of 42 months. He has already served 29 months, so he must serve roughly one more year.

Black's wife, Barbara Amiel, responded to the verdict by collapsing on the court room floor.

Black's lawyers argued there is no point sending him back to jail for any more time.

Black “has suffered unmitigated” personal suffering and should be released on time served, lawyer Carol Gurland told Chicago judge Amy St. Eve during a sentencing hearing this morning.

Gurland went on for some time discussing Black's good works in prison helping other inmates as well as his charitable work.

She also read from letters submitted by family and friends. And she noted Black has serious health issues as does his wife, Barbara Amiel Black.
 
Black, 66, was originally convicted in 2007 of three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice over the misappropriation of $6.1 million US at Hollinger International Inc., once one of the largest newspaper companies in the world. He has served 29 months of his sentence at a prison in Florida. He was released on bail last year after an appeal to the Supreme Court resulted in a reinterpretation of a key part of the fraud statute. That decision and further appeals led to the reversal of two fraud convictions connected to $5.5 million of the misappropriation.