Key Figure in Stewart Trial Dies After Collapsing at Train Stop

AP ^ | 2-26-04

[nuconvert]

Key Figure in Stewart Trial Dies After Collapsing at Train Stop

Feb. 26, 2004

By Erin McClam / Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - An important figure in the Martha Stewart stock-fraud trial collapsed at a train station and died, just two days after giving testimony that appeared to damage the defense. Jeremiah Gutman, an 80-year-old lawyer who once represented the star witness for the prosecution, collapsed Wednesday on a Metro-North platform in Hastings in suburban Westchester County.

He was found unconscious on a staircase and died later at a hospital, Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said Thursday. The cause was an apparent heart attack, associates of the lawyer said.

Gutman represented Merrill Lynch & Co. assistant Douglas Faneuil in early 2002, shortly after Faneuil handled Stewart's sale of nearly 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems stock.

Faneuil initially told investigators Stewart sold after he gave her a stock quote. But he changed his story in 2002, saying broker Peter Bacanovic had ordered him to tip Stewart that ImClone CEO Sam Waksal was trying to sell his own shares.

Gutman testified on Monday, called as a witness by Bacanovic's lawyers - but his testimony appeared to backfire on the defense as he backed up essential pieces of Faneuil's story.

Gutman testified that Faneuil was distraught to the point of tears in the early days of the ImClone investigation - months before he went to the government and claimed he had lied for Bacanovic.

Earlier in the trial, Faneuil testified that Gutman had told him he knew about a deal between Merrill Lynch and the government to ignore any wrongdoing by Stewart and hand over Waksal "on a silver platter."

The defense has claimed that story is a lie. But Gutman said on the stand that he told Faneuil "something like that."

Gutman said a Merrill official "had told me that he was working on making a deal and that deal would involve getting all Merrill Lynch people off the hook, and let the chips fall where they may."

The lawyer also said Faneuil told him he told his bosses at Merrill were "merciless and immoral."

Merrill has denied the existence of any deal.

Gutman was active in the civil rights movement in the South in the 1960s and devoted much of his life to protecting the First Amendment, said Joan Bertin, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship.

"He was committed to a full range of civil rights and racial equality and gender equality, but I think he appreciated in a way that many people don't how those issues stand on the shoulders of the right to free expression and political dissent," Bertin said.

[TSgt]

Only $100?

The corpse would probably slap you and demand $200!

We are talking about a lawyer here...

[oceanview]

couldn't they have started him off with a horse's head in his bed?

[oceanview]

unless it was after midnight, these metro north trains are loaded with passengers.

[Dog]

We need to watch out for those home styling divas..

[dirtboy]

couldn't they have started him off with a horse's head in his bed?

Nah. Since he was a lawyer, they would have had to use the other end of the horse.

[Dog]

The troll is back as amly.

[Petronski]

The deceased was returning home from a dinner party at Stewart's home, where the menu included a wonderful stew made with Japanese Fugu pufferfish and Martha's special wild mushrooms.

[Constitution Day]

We are doomed. DOOMED!

[cyncooper]

Not since the man was 80, stevie.

Sheesh

[YaYa123]

"Was he on his way to see the passion?"

Hard to be funny about an old man's tragic death....but you made the cut.

[nuconvert]

LoL.

[Grim]

I met Jeremiah when he was head of the NYC chapter of the ACLU. He was a good hearted man and, incredibly, a conservative.

[george wythe]

Gutman testified on Monday, called as a witness by Bacanovic's lawyers - but his testimony appeared to backfire on the defense as he backed up essential pieces of Faneuil's story.

I wonder if anyone knows why the defense seems to bungling their own witnesses' testimony.

The defense also called a lady to support Stewart's account, and then the prosecutor played a tape of Bacanovic contradicting the lady's testimony.

What's going on here?

[kimoajax]

I suppose "that is NOT a good thing"...heh.

[Domestic Church]

Make that a Merrill Lynch umbrella with potassium.

[Made In The USA]

Upon finding the body Martha quickly reacted to the tragedy by getting out her hot glue gun and festooning the corpse with a frilly tassle. Taking it a step further, Martha retrieved two small semi-precious stones from her backyard, polished them to a shiny lustre, and used them to keep the decedents eyelids shut. Still not fully content, Martha then stenciled the body bag with decorative "Rest In Peace" calligrapy.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Just one of life's ironies. The only person who can organize this mass mess is Martha. But, it's pretty hard to zip close and label lawyer's egos. So she's forced to sit there and Seethe 101.

[nuconvert]

Wondering how long it would take for someone to say that....

[LizardQueen]

Doily-cide

[GEC]

You definitely get the wittiest remark of the day award.

Thanks for the laugh.