The trial of Conrad Black on charges of fraud, racketeering and obstruction of justice will not begin until March 5, 2007. Judge Amy St. Eve cited her own workload for the upcoming year as the reason for the lengthy wait for Black's case to begin.

Black was in a Chicago court on Friday to plead not guilty to new charges of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.

The new charges were handed down Thursday by a grand jury.

Conrad Black arrives at Chicago's Federal Court with his Canadian attorney Eddie Greenspan, left, Friday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

• FROM DEC. 15, 2005: U.S. charges Conrad Black with racketeering, obstruction

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago charged Black on Nov. 17 with eight counts of mail fraud and wire fraud relating to the alleged diversion of millions of dollars from Hollinger International. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on those charges.

Black pleaded not guilty Dec. 1 to the eight fraud charges.

The obstruction charge relates to an incident in May when Black and two employees were seen on videotape lugging boxes out the back door of the downtown Toronto office of Hollinger Inc., the company from which he once ruled his news empire.

After the security tape was played in a court in Ontario, Black agreed to return the boxes, which he said contained only personal items.

The racketeering count, brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, alleges that Black was the principal leader, manager and organizer of the group of people and entities that made up the "Hollinger Enterprise."

The racketeering charge alleges that Black, together with other defendants, operated Hollinger between 1998 and 2002 "through a pattern of seven racketeering acts, each containing one or more underlying allegations of fraud."

The racketeering and obstruction charges each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 US fine upon conviction.

The money laundering charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of twice the amount of illegally transferred funds, $4.3 million US in this case. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

If convicted on all 12 charges he faces, Black could face a maximum prison term of 95 years.

Lengthy trial

Prosecutors said it could take two months to present their case against Black and his co-defendants.

The group of defendants have until March 31, 2006, to file any pre-trial motions.

John Boultbee, a co-defendent and former Hollinger executive, pleaded not guilty on Friday to a charge of wire fraud that was laid on Thursday.