Conrad Black. Jeffrey Skilling.
Government and defense lawyers submitted their briefs in the Conrad Black case today . Said the prosecutors: “The erroneous honest services instruction was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.” Lawyers for Black said the prosecution’s use of the honest-services theory required the court to throw out the verdict.
As for Jeffrey Skilling’s case: Here is his brief to have the court throw out the verdict. Tom Kirkendall, of the Houston’s Clear Thinkers blog, writes: “Stated simply, the government relied on the amorphous nature of an invalid theory of criminality in obtaining a conviction against Skilling on numerous different charges. Having relied on that blather, the government cannot now prove that the jury didn't rely on it in convicting Skilling on all charges. Although results rarely occur as they should in misdirected criminal prosecutions, Skilling really should win his release and a re-trial. Stay tuned.”
Here is Skilling's motion for release on bail :. And here his rejoinder to the government’s reply to the bail motion: I haven’t seen the government’s reply to the bail motion in an open source yet, but its argument is easily inferred from Skilling’s rejoinder.
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