BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We have a look back at "CNN 20" today, the segment, White House aide Oliver North, a verdict is in.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ... read the jury's decision on the fired White House aide. North shows no emotion on hearing the verdict: guilty on three guilty, not guilty on nine counts. Later, at his lawyer's office, North called this a partial vindication.</s>OLIVER NORTH: It was certainly our hope that this battle would be behind us by now, but today's was not a complete victory. After more than 2 1/2 years and over $40 million of our taxpayers' money, we now face many months and perhaps years of fighting the remaining charges. Nonetheless, we are absolutely confident of the final outcome.</s>CHARLES BIERBAUER, CNN SR. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: The image that we best recall of Ollie North is the Marine officer, ramrod straight, standing in front of the congressional committee saying: I was just the Marine officer who saluted smartly and charged up that hill. As if to say, I was just following orders. The question of course then is: Were these Ronald Reagan's orders? The answer was: Ollie North was convicted of this.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The jury convicted North of altering, destroying, concealing, and removing official documents in November, 1986. And the jury found North guilty of aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress by creating a false chronology and shredding documents.</s>BIERBAUER: But because his testimony to the Congress was immunized, the conviction was subsequently overturned, and Ollie went on to have a career as a radio talk show host.
CNN 20: Oliver North Verdict, May 4, 1989