Judge rejects deadlock, sends Black jury back

CHICAGO -- The jury weighing fraud charges against former Hollinger International Inc. chairman Conrad Black and three codefendants resumed deliberations under orders from the trial judge after deadlocking on some charges.

"We have discussed and deliberated on all the evidence and are still unable to reach a unanimous verdict on one or more counts," the jury said in a note yesterday in Chicago federal court.

US District Court Judge Amy St. Eve told the nine-woman, three-man jury, which has deliberated nine days, to resume its work. "I will not accept a partial verdict at this time," St. Eve said.

Black, 62, is charged with fraud and racketeering and faces 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious counts of the 16 charges he and his codefendants face. Should jurors remain deadlocked on some of the counts, St. Eve may give them a so-called Allen charge, informing them that it's their duty to reach a verdict if they can.

If St. Eve subsequently declares a mistrial, prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry Black and the other defendants.

The U S government accuses him, former Hollinger vice president Peter Atkinson, 60, and ex- chief financial officer John Boultbee, 64, of stealing more than $60 million from the company.

The money was disguised as payments for the executives' agreeing not to compete with newspapers Hollinger sold between 1998 and 2001 for about $3 billion, prosecutors claimed.

A fourth defendant, former general counsel Mark Kipnis, 59, is accused of helping the others steal the money.

Defense lawyers have said the fee agreements were required conditions of closing each newspaper sale.