He should have been found guilty of the non-compete against himself only. He stands a very good chance in appeal on all the other counts including the obstruction which is bogus. Sentencing should force him to return the money, pay a hefty fine and give no more time than the 29 months «the rat» was offered.

Pierre, Vancouver, Canada

If this had happened in UK he probably would not even have been charged or prosecuted, let alone found guilty. The City of London is riding high on it's "wild west" reputation for deals where anything goes and regulation is minimal if that.
Private equity firms milk Brown's tax breaks to the limit and the rich few get far richer while more and more struggle.
From the invasion of Iraq, through the upgrading of our nukes, increasing loss of liberty, increased violent crime, unfair voting system, corporate corruption, and much more, we are becoming a "rogue state".
In 10 yrs., Blair (and Brown) have terribly damaged this country's worldwide reputation in the eyes of the ordinary citizens of countries where Britain still was admired and respected.

harlan Leyside, basildon, essex

Yet another reason, including Sarbanes-Oxley and Guantanamo, not to do business in the states.

Pete Balchin, Solicitor, Bristol, uk

Well what a surprise (not!) that he was a friend of Margaret Thatcher, you really can tell the person by the company they keep.

And what was Blair doing making him a Lord at the request of William Hague!?

Kim, London, England

We do not know what was in the boxws, and frankly if I had dangerous files they would never be listed. I suspect tje jury thought the same. Snobbish he lorded over others and liked the Uk with similar people Oxford Wisc, a nice new home.

Campbell Atkinson, Victoria , BC Canada

The comment from Emma H from Canada is nonsense. People who run companies are in positions of trust. They are not permited to steal the assets of the shareholder, which is what Black was convicted of. I can't understand what took the jury so long. He should be joined in prison by Haigh who created him a UK legislator for life and set him over the rest of us in terms of status.

Bob, London, UK

Hope he serves the maximum in jail.
Wish the British justice is as tough
as the Americans' on white-collar crimes.

gs, London, UK

Don't hold your breath! America is a strange old place - terribly self righteous. What is the bet that Black will get acquitted of all charges on appeal? I lay you a bet that he will, because he has been acquitted of all the major charges and the ones that he has been convicted of turn on points of law not evidence alone. So wait and see. I do not know Lord Black nor do I support him, but I know that there is one rule for the rich and another for the poor. If not why is he on bail? Anyone else would have been sent down pending appeal /sentence.

John Papi, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom

But if O.J Simpson and Michael Jackson were Not Guilty, why not Conrad Black?
Seems so unlike American justice. I suppose an appeal will be launched and we will be determined in 20 years -like death row case!

Carl Teper, Jerusalem, Israel

He Had it coming to them!
No one is crying very hard
Especially those who knew
them

Carol, Hamilton, Canada

To Emma H., Ottawa, CAN - You bend over backwards to excuse Black's theft of tens of millions of dollars from corporate funds that belonged to shareholders. Black was NOT convicted of 'minor counts'. Nor can he be said to have merely 'dared a little too much.' Fraud is fraud. The obstruction verdict is harsh, but there can be no doubt he entered the Hollinger office and took the documents in direct violation of a court order. The jurors know better than you and I what may have been in those files and why Black was so determined to have them. Question: did you own shares in Hollinger? If so, you suffered poor returns due to Black's diversion of cash flows and bogus fees to himself. CEOs can't rip off shareholders and get away with it. Even if he had been acquitted, he faces hundreds of millions of shareholder lawsuits. In the end, he will be nothing but an ex-con pauper with a big vocabulary. Justice will have prevailed.

H. Angus, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel are both highly intelligent and talented people.I have read Amiel's columns and comments for a couple of decades and whilst it was often difficult to agree with her,she was always worth reading.Unfortunately,the girl form Watford's vulgar ostentation,does not sit well with the suffering masses.If Black is really as wealthy as is claimed,the amounts involved here are relatively minor for an apparent billionaire.It really was not worth it.I cannot see that justice will be served to incarcerate this man for perhaps decades in prison.There are far more evil people amongst the obscenely wealthy who destroy lives as opposed to creating an empire as Black did.I do not warm to the man,but I hope his punishment is not disproportionate to the crime and wish him luck.It looks like he is going to need it.

Keith Richard Pirelli, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

More delightful even than Paris Hilton going to jail.

Eric Love, Brooklyn, New York

Better tell his old chum and defender, Rees-Mogg, what has happened. You'll probably have to wake him from a nap. Those who knew anything of Black's background always expected he would go down, er, up, as in up the river. There are many unpleasant tales, going back to his childhood, including being expelled from Upper Canada Boys School. Recently on the Internet, the story of the couple's selling their New York apartment was published. If you want a hilarious black tale of greed, selfishness, and meanness, just go find it. It includes delightful tidbits about 'Lady' Black taking all the chandeliers the new owners rightly thought they had purchased. By the way, Ms Amiel, has a long and rather unpleasant past in Canada. It should take about a month of Conrad in jail not handing over cheques before she off with someone else. The one blessing at the Telegraph in all this is they no longer have to run her boring, juvenile columns.

JOHN CHUCKMAN, Toronto, Canada

What were the accountants responsible for certifying Hollinger Group's books as a true and accurate record doing over the years? They should have picked up the hand of Conrad Black as being in the till and blown the whistle. I am afraid that the Accountants prefer to avoid nasty figures in their accounts. Cap'n Bob Maxwell got away with financial murder as BossMan of the Mirror Group for many a year. How many other company's shareholders are being done a diservice by those paid to protect their financial interests?

W D Toulman, Walkington, United Kingdom

He will probably go down with Parkinsons and get out whereupon he will be miraculously cured.

Dave Madley, Alicante, Spain

The media is frothing at the mouth with the convictions but it is hard to understand how taking financial records home, during the midst of an investigation, is obstruction. It strikes me as prudent. One would want to read them very carefully, make copies, etc. I do not recall any evidence indicating any missing documents. Unlike Martha Stweart who was fond to have lied to investigators, Mr. Black moved boxes, hardly the same. And they were returned when requested. Unlike Exon and World.com, no transactions were hidden, no jobs were lost, and the law is not defined on how inter-relating companies must act. It seems cowardly for persons, ie journalists, who are too fearful to ever dare much, to celebrate convictions on the most minor counts of persons who may have dared a little too much.

Emma H., Ottawa, CAN

Should we be surprised? What more can you expect from those who think they rule the world (and they do!)

The only difference between Britain and a banana republic is that in Britain, very occasionally, the bad guys get caught.

Let´s see how much time he actually does behind bars!

cerronevado, Mijas, Spain

Should we be surprised? What more can you expect from those who think they rule the world (and they do!)

The only difference between Britain and a banana republic is that in Britain, very occasionally, the bad guys get caught.

Let´s see how much time he actually does behind bars!

cerronevado, m,

Ambition. Ambition. If only he had stayed here in Sherbrooke and served the city with his Sherbrooke Daily Record. But no, the lofty route.

Terry, Sherbrooke, Quebec