Sticks and Stones Department

Even before he took the stand in the fraud trial of his former boss Conrad Black, former Hollinger International second-in-command David Radler was being pummeled in the Canadian press as "a modern-day Brutus" who had "turned on a friendship and partnership of more than 35 years."

Now that he has testified that Black did indeed instruct him to help siphon off $60 million from the global newspaper publisher, Radler has been really coming in for a beating.

At one point in the defense team's closing arguments in 14-week federal fraud and racketeering trial in Chicago on Tuesday, defense lawyer Edward Genson characterized Radler thusly: "He's a liar, he's a liar, he's a liar!"

For any jurors who might have missed the theme, Black's primary defense lawyer, Edward Greenspan added: "He is a serial liar."

Disparaging Radler, the prosecution's main witness, might work better than the defense team's other approach: Claiming that federal authorities were unable to produce a single incriminating document to support the charges.

As prosecutor Julie Ruder has noted, that may be explained by the fact that Black had been videotaped removing 13 boxes of documents from his Toronto offices while under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Black has also been charged with obstruction of justice.

U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, who is hearing the case, said closing arguments in the case may stretch into next week.

by Mark Stein