Conrad Black was recently released on $2 million bail from the Florida prison where he has served more than two years of a six-and-a-half-year sentence. The decision came after the U.S. Supreme Court found that a law used to aid in his conviction had been written too broadly and didn’t apply to his case, paving the way for an appeal.
The former media baron has requested to return Toronto. George Tombs, author of Robber Baron: Lord Black of Crossharbour, said Lord Black has always considered his Bridle Path place his home base. He has been ordered to stay in the U. S. until he can provide the judge responsible for setting the terms of his bail with more information.
Toronto lawyer Steven Skurka said he thinks Lord Black has a great shot at a successful appeal, making it unlikely that he will go back to jail.
“It’s been a case of many surprises, so we can expect that we haven’t seen the last one,” said Skurka.
But Lord Black’s situation remains serious, said Tombs.
“Even if he were acquitted in the fall of the fraud convictions, he will still spend the rest of his life defending himself in court and at huge personal cost,” he said, pointing to the multiple civil suits Black is facing.
