INSTANT VIEW: U.S. jury finds Conrad Black guilty

CHICAGO (Reuters)- Conrad Black, the former chief executive of media giant Hollinger International Inc. and a member of Britain's House of Lords, was found guilty on Friday by a U.S. jury of charges that he and associates skimmed millions from the newspaper publisher he once controlled.

Black's lawyer said he will appeal the guilty verdicts.

The following are reactions to the verdict:

ORIN SNYDER, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO WORKED WITH U.S.

ATTORNEY PATRICK FITZGERALD AND CURRENT VICE-CHAIRMAN OF

GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER'S CRISIS MANAGEMENT PRACTICE GROUP

"This verdict is bad news for Conrad Black. Although it has the appearance of being a split decision, Black was convicted of both fraud and obstruction of justice. These are very serious crimes that carry very significant jail time and millions of dollars in fines. The jury seems to have resolved whatever differences it had by acquitting Black on the remaining charges. But the conviction on the four charges is real a victory for the government."

CHAD MULLER, PARTNER, STRASBURGER & PRICE, SAN ANTONIO

"It appears to be consistent with a pattern of enforcement against white-collar offenders in recent years, and it reflects what I believe to be an appropriate concern by the United States government on enforcement of the law in corporate and white collar offender cases. This also demonstrates how broad the federal statutes are as a tool of enforcement in white collar cases."

"We've gone through a period where there was not a great deal of government enforcement in white collar cases. And recently we've seen a great deal more concern by the Department of Justice about white collar and corporate fraud cases."

CANADIAN AUTHOR PETER NEWMAN, WHO WROTE THE FIRST BIOGRAPHY

OF CONRAD BLACK "THE ESTABLISHMENT MAN" IN 1982.

"I would think he is in total shock. He really did believe he was innocent. This is his legacy. Those of us who have followed this case are not surprised. This is a tragedy. He really did have a great brain and great memory and it's a tragedy for us as well as for him that he didn't live up to his potential and will end up in an American jail."

(Additional reporting by Amran Abocar in Toronto and Kyle Peterson and Andrew Stern in Chicago)