Martha Stewart Refused April Deal To Avoid Prison

PR Newswire ^ | 3/7/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

Prosecutors Offered Martha Stewart a Deal Last April: Cop To One Count of Making a False Statement and Receive Probation and Continue to Work at Omnimedia, Sources Say

She Refused to Plead Guilty to a Felony

NEW YORK, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek has learned that the Feds gave Martha Stewart an opportunity to avoid prison. Federal prosecutors offered Stewart a deal last April to cop to one count of making a false statement, say several sources familiar with the offer. She would have received probation and could continue working at her company, they say. But she refused to plead guilty to a felony, and a defense source says the Feds couldn't guarantee she would stay out of jail.

And federal investigators say she could have avoided the entire mess if she had confessed in the beginning. Had she admitted wrong doing in early 2002, she could have gotten off with a $200,000 fine and no jail time, report Detroit Bureau Chief Keith Naughton and Special Correspondent Barney Gimbel in the March 15 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, March 8).

After a seven week trial, the jury deliberated for three days before convicting Stewart on all four counts.

One juror sobbed as the judge ticked off all the guilty counts. Martha's daughter, Alexis, doubled over in tears in the front row of the gallery. Alexis's husband John Cuti, also one of Martha's lawyers, buried his face in his hands at the defense table. Stewart stared straight ahead, showing no emotion.

Martha Stewart's case may set the new standard for judging fat cats who don't play by the rules, write Naughton and Gimbel. "We're now going to see the 'Martha test' as a fair punishment for white-collar crimes," says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, associate dean of the Yale School of Management.

"This is going to have a strong influence on jurors from here on out." And legal experts say she'll likely go to prison for one to three years, probably at a minimum- security "prison farm."

[Peter Libra]

Ah Wilhelm, I always knew I would be in the minority on this great free wheeling site(hope that will temper a few flames). Last time was when I felt the Cuban lad should be re-united with his natural father. Boy, was I ever in the minority. Oh well..... I like your carefully thought out rebuttals. I will now resort to the oldest of all rebuttals.

Let he who is without sin, cast the last stone. A bit weak but at least I gave it a try.

FREE MARTHA

[Peter Libra]

Ah Wilhelm, I always knew I would be in the minority on this great free wheeling site(hope that will temper a few flames). Last time was when I felt the Cuban lad should be re-united with his natural father. Boy, was I ever in the minority. Oh well..... I like your carefully thought out rebuttals. I will now resort to the oldest of all rebuttals.

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. A bit weak, but at least I gave it a try.

FREE MARTHA

[Peter Libra]

Please have more care. Should ignore the first of the last two posts.

[lainde]

Sigh...Undoubtedly a simple, single-strand of pearls would have been more productive.

Thanks Howlin!

[dmzTahoe]

"Flame away if you will but the inability to communicate creates all kinds of problems and this type of misusage, which i was cautioned against in grade school, is heard daily on television news programs."

Sorry, grammar police. I said it was a paraphrase of a quote, and it was either Yogi Berra or Norm Crosby, one of the true linguists, who authored it. In either case, it was meant to be one of those quotes that gets you thinking, a head shaker, but in the end it is accurate.

By the way, Webster, make sure you capitalize all your i's (sic). You were probably sick for that lesson in grade school.

[Heatseeker]

She's toast.

I have no feelings for Stewart one way or the other, but as Cboldt pointed out, there is the SEC civil suit to deal with, plus stockholder lawsuits, some already on file, and many more sure to be coming (now that her stock value is crashing) which she will have to contend with, with much less money than she used to have.

I don't know much about the law but I know a little bit about marketing, and given that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's only real product - or real producer - is now a convicted felon - MSLO is certainly toast, even if Stewart isn't.

[RipSawyer]

Failure to capitalize is an oversight for which I apologize, the error I pointed out may have been your own or only a quotation but my point is that it is used daily by television newscasters and others who should know better.

I am well aware that I should be capitalized but the people to whom I refer seem to believe they are following correct usage. This was not meant as a personal attack.

[7.62 x 51mm]

Peeking in my window AGAIN, you pervert?

[dmzTahoe]

Thanks!

Agree with your aggravation over grammar and misused words. One that really bothers me is when people use the word "orientated" instead of "oriented". In forums like this, though, we need to go light on mistakes with punctuation, grammar, spelling... The format calls for quick responses which will result in unchecked errors. I for one am losing my vision as I get older and have trouble with the wrong keys falling under my fingers.

The "thoughts" and shared ideas are what count, and the ease they are conveyed. All here need not be English Majors. If they were, they'd all have useless careers or be English teachers (sarcasm, folks...take no offense...)

Have a great day, Rip.

[Reelect President Dubya]

Peeking in my window AGAIN, you pervert?

Don't need to. Everybody knows about it.

[7.62 x 51mm]

You're a sorry, sad little person. And you're now on my *ignore list*. Congrats, nobody.