The disgraced press baron Conrad Black has filed a formal request for his trial judge to overturn his convictions, claiming that there was insufficient evidence for jurors to find him guilty of fraud and obstruction of justice.
In a series of motions to Chicago's federal court, Black's lawyers demand either immediate acquittal or a fresh trial, arguing that "no rational jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt" that the former Telegraph owner deliberately plundered $6.5m (£3.25m) from his Hollinger media empire.
The application is a last chance for judge Amy St Eve to over-rule jurors before Black's sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for November. Legal experts say American judges seldom reverse jury verdicts - but the motions amount to a rehearsal for an appeal.
"It is a pretty rare case when a trial judge reverses herself, so I suspect that the chances of Lord Black prevailing at this stage are less than one in ten," Hugh Totten, a Chicago lawyer who has followed the case closely, told the Canadian Press. "He probably has a better shot on appeal."
In the documents, defence lawyer Marc Martin says judge St Eve was wrong to give the jury a so-called "ostrich instruction" which allowed them to convict if they felt that Black had wilfully looked away from wrongdoing.
"An ostrich, or conscious avoidance, instruction is warranted only in rare circumstances where a defendant suspected wrongdoing or deliberately avoided the truth," argues Mr Martin, who says the government failed to produce evidence that Black took deliberate steps to avoid knowledge of any crimes.
The defence team goes on to say that the only evidence linking Black to the theft of phony "non-compete" payments from Hollinger was the word of his former business partner, David Radler.
Pointing out that Radler's evidence was given under a plea agreement, the defence argues that it should have been allowed to call sentencing experts as witnesses to explain to jurors how his co-operation was reducing his punishment.
Furthermore, the defence motions say that the victim of any alleged crime was the Canadian government - not Hollinger, as was charged.
"At best, the government's evidence suggested a scheme to defraud the Canadian tax authorities - but Canada is not the charged victim in this case - [Hollinger] International is."
The US government is pushing for the 62-year-old peer to serve between 15 and 20 years in jail, although legal commentators believe a more likely sentence is between five and 10 years' imprisonment.
Until his sentencing, Black is confined either to Chicago or to Palm Beach, where he has an oceanside residence. In an email to reporters, the peer said: "I am fine thank you, and enjoying my house in Palm Beach."
He added: "I remain optimistic."
