Tense hours ahead for Conrad Black as he flips a bird at the media in the lead-up to the jury decision as whether he gets sent to jail for the rest of his life, or walks.

The jury has been deadlocked but Judge Amy St. Eve has instructed them to get back to work and expectations are running high that a verdict is imminent. No doubt Black and his lawyers would be feeling that the longer it takes, the better it looks.

Hundreds of alleged fans of Conrad Black's are also awaiting the verdict. They are purportedly members of a Conrad Black Fan Club that's appeared on Facebook. The Globe and Mail reports that the club has hundreds of members and was created by a former journalist who who helped the defendant research his books on richard nixon and Franklin Roosevelt.

Given that Black was already fooled by one club that turned out to be a hoax, I remain dubious and it's a view I share with Joe Warmington from the Edmonton Sun:

"Does Conrad Black have that many friends? I mean, that many friends who would be hanging out on Facebook?"

Good point! But what's more important is that a verdict is expected soon, possibly today.