Federal judge rejects mistrial motion in Conrad Black case News
Federal judge rejects mistrial motion in Conrad Black case

[JURIST] Judge Amy St. Eve [official profile] of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois [official website] denied a motion Monday for a mistrial in the prosecution of Canadian-born former media mogul Conrad Black [CBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] on fraud charges. John Boultbee, a former associate of Black and his current co-defendant, requested a separate trial from Black in addition to the motion for a mistrial in Black's case. Both pleas were rejected.

Boultbee, the former CFO of Hollinger International [official website], stands accused of illegally diverting more than $80 million from Hollinger and its shareholders during Hollinger's $2.1 billion sale of several hundred Canadian newspapers. Two years ago, Boultbee joined [JURIST report] Black, former legal executive Mark Kipnis, and former VP Peter Atkinson in pleading not guilty to fraud charges [JURIST report]. A fifth defendant, former Hollinger President David Radler [Wikipedia profile], pleaded guilty to the charges and agreed to testify [JURIST report] for the government. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.