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Chicago - The judge presiding over Conrad Black's criminal fraud trial refused yesterday to declare a mistrial in the case for one of the former media baron's three co-defendants.
Judge Amy St Eve of the US District Court denied the request from a lawyer for Mark Kipnis, who was general counsel for Black's former newspaper publishing company, Hollinger International.
The charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion against Kipnis are the least serious of those against the four men on trial.
Prosecutors had contended he helped enable Black and his associates to steal US$60 million ($81 million) from the company. His lawyer had denied that, saying US$150,000 in bonuses Kipnis received was payment due for legal work.
The judge told Kipnis' lawyer that he had very effectively demonstrated in an earlier cross-examination that the money Kipnis received was done for work and not related to the scheme, yet she refused to grant the mistrial.
St Eve said she was "very surprised by that testimony" and watched how the jury reacted to it.
The judge has previously rejected other requests for mistrials from defendants in the case.
- REUTERS
