Court bracing for flood of reporters as jury selection begins in Black trial (Fitz case) [View All]

[Spazito]

CHICAGO -- The trial of Conrad Black begins in earnest Wednesday and Chicago court officials are bracing for a flood as almost 450 members of the world press settle in to observe the former media baron and a list of anticipated witnesses that reads like a who’s-who of the political and business elite.

On Wednesday, the crush of media at the Dirksen Federal Court House in downtown Chicago is expected to be so big that officials have added a second “overflow” room for those who don’t make it into Judge Amy St. Eve’s tiny courtroom.

Journalists began filing into the courthouse at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday to get press passes to attend the opening of jury selection - only four benches in the court have been reserved for the media.

snip

But the case will likely begin to attract more attention once a raft of high-profile witnesses begin to appear. Those could include Henry Kissinger, former White House defence adviser Richard Perle, former Illinois Governor James Thompson and real estate tycoon and “The Apprentice” host Donald Trump.

more

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=d6c4c553-0b34-4135-9a46-b1177a7aec03&k=8781