The prosecution of Conrad Black seems comparable to a highway patrol officer ticketing someone for going 55 1/8 miles in a 55-mile zone. There is an old saying that a prosecutor can always indict anyone if they simply search for some sort of excuse. We have law on the books that are rarely enforced. The question should often be asked: why did the prosecutor file charges in this particular case—and not others? Also, there is a strong theory that juries are likely to convict on one or two charges if there are about ten to choose from. They believe that they have reached a reasonable compromise.